


Bright Nights and Soft Lights

by Azure_Zink



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: InuSess, Inucest, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:54:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 16
Words: 84,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26919184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Azure_Zink/pseuds/Azure_Zink
Summary: Inuyasha and Sesshomaru are going about their daily lives when lights flash across the skies as beings rain down. Much to their surprise and dismay they find themselves face to face with one another from the future and must come to terms with the fact that they are a mated pair. They find it hard to believe but the evidence is right in front of them in the form of 4 inu children.This isn't complete yet!
Relationships: InuYasha/Sesshoumaru (InuYasha)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 92





	1. Chapter 1

The group was taking a break from their long journey and had just reached the village when the brightest lights shone in the sky. Villagers ran for the cover of their humble homes and the group stood at the ready, with old Kaede holding a bow with her aging hands. Bright spheres of lights rained down, the sound of their impact with the Earth loud and stretching for miles. The group paused and shared glances. "Kagome are you still going to leave us?" Sango asked, anticipation in her voice as she became antsy, wanting to see whatever may have fallen from the sky.

"I have to. I promised my mom…you guys should go ahead of me, and come back as soon as you can. I'll stay with Kaede and help keep the village safe. Inuyasha?" Kagome looked at Inuyasha, who's mind was elsewhere. When the bright lights had begun to dance across the sky he couldn't believe the swell in his chest. He felt a tug, begging him to go see what had occurred, it was to the point of physical pain, so he simply nodded instead of arguing with her. They restocked their supplies and set off, with Miroku, Sango, and Shippo riding Kilala they dashed in the direction of the closest impacting point.

Miles away in a ditch and young figure rose slowly. "Owwww…ow..ow oww…" His clothing slightly more modern as he'd just come home from a ceremony with his parents. He slowly pulled himself from the ditch. "Everything hurts~!" He complained loudly. "Dad~! It hurts~!" The young boy stopped for a moment and began to take in his surroundings. "The forest? What am I doing in the forest?" Using his nose he tried to get his bearings. His white hair was a filthy mess and his golden eyes narrowed in confusion. "Where am I?" The Earth smelled pure and untainted by modern advancements. He felt as though he was camping with his parents. "Father!" He shouted loudly, knowing his father should be able to hear him from anywhere he might be. He felt his heart rate quicken when no one came at his distressed call, not even a servant to reprimand him. "I have to stay calm." He told himself before he started walking. The young man walked for what felt like eternity for a young teen until he came upon a village. "Is this some sort of reenactment?" Wandering in he noticed he only scented humans. It was unusual to say the least.

"A demon is in the village!" A woman screeched and ran into her home. The situation escalated from there, there was a lot of screaming, which hurt his sensitive ears.

"Hold on! I'm lost and I need help finding my home. Pause the set or something, my father'll pay for it!" He shouted but they begun firing arrows, one of which embedded itself in his arm. Eye widening in pain and confusion he took off. He was much faster that the humans and was able to get away quickly. Trembling in fear he examined his arm in disbelief. He felt tears prickle at his eyes and whipped them away before they fell. He wanted his parents to come save him, he was confused and bleeding. With his other hand, he broke the end of the arrow and pulled it the rest of the way through before searching for water. Finding a very shallow stream he cleaned the wound before sitting under a tree and watching as it healed slowly.

He took deep breaths but couldn't remember anything after he and his family were engulfed in the bright shining lights. He thought about all of the training he'd been in and nodded to himself, this place wasn't like home. He was going to need to fight back. "I should go to the castle…or grandma's…" Relaxing, he began to follow his instincts to his home. The dirt under his feet crunched loudly as he observed the silence of nature. He was unsure about his skills and more unsure about what he was doing. He and his family lived in the city, and only stayed at the castle during events, but the castle was located on the ancestral lands of the shiroinu clan and his blood could guide him without fail. He felt a tug, so it was obvious that it was there and he was just lost...he hoped. Nothing was making any sense, he was seeing things, creatures, that have been extinct since before his birth. Scratching his arm as he walked though, he hoped he didn't run into too many problems on his way home. Then his stomach rumbled and he felt his world crash a bit. Aside from hunting with his parents, he'd never had to do so on his own. "I'm so freaking confused."

()()()()()()()()()()

In the direction he was headed, several hundred kilometers away, stood the silent lord of the west. He'd watched the figures fall from the sky as he left his home in search of Naraku, after leaving Jaken and Rin in the safety of the castle. Feeling a tug towards the falling lights, the tug grew stronger as he formed his cloud underfoot and took off towards one that lay closest to him. What he saw when he came upon the sight was unbelievable. There laying flat in the ditch unmoving, were two, very young shiroinu pups. Both girls were no longer of the living world and he felt Tenseiga pulse with a never before felt urgency. Taking in the faces and scents of the girls his eyes widened. Both had the crescent moon of his family, and the smell of his blood in their veins. "Impossible." Was the barely audible whisper. Gripping Tenseiga, he felt it pulse strongly as he cut through the imps of the underworld.

Within moments the girls began shifting and moving, both the children were quite small and were no bigger than a human 10 year old. They were dressed in fancy, traditional kimonos and had short bobbed hair. They looked like small china dolls with their markings and if they weren't covered in dirt it would be obvious they were royalty. The girls began crying before they stood or even opened their eyes. "Papa!" One cried loudly before finally opening her eyes and taking in her surroundings. Looking up and over at him along with her twin who followed suit, Sesshomaru could smell their anxiety melt away as they rushed over and latched onto him while crying sorrowfully. "Papa, I'm scared!"

"Papa!" Her sister coughed roughly.

He looked down, there was no doubting their scent, or doubting the fact that they knew him. He couldn't figure out the other scent. The scent of their other parent, and it made the lord a bit anxious, admittedly. Their tearful, snotty faces left markings on his pristine clothing but the lord held his anger at bay. Eventually they calmed and he sat under a tree and watched them play in the grass and flowers. The pups acted as one and played well together, they were very well behaved, as expected from children of his loin. Soon they began staring at him with faces too blank for children their age, their scents were very relaxed, unlike when he first brought them back to the land of the living. Glancing at Tenseiga he wondered what it knew about the two. The three sat staring at each other for quite a while before he stood, and they stood with him. "Pups. What are your names?" He asked as he studied every difference in their identical faces.

"Papa isn't funny! Papa knows our names!" One giggled as she skipped to him before tugging on his arm.

"Papa knows I'm Sairin, and she is Sairiu!" The other, Sairiu, skipped up happily as well before attempting to grab his missing left arm. She gasped loudly and panic seized her chest, "Hurt! Papa's hurt!" She began crying loudly and hugging his leg. "Papa okay? Papa!" Her sister began crying as well and he was becoming annoyed.

"Silence." He said coldly and the two immediately ceased crying obediently. "Do not cry. It is bothersome." With that he began walking away, leaving them to follow. Glancing over his shoulder they walked hand in hand, steps synchronized and staring straight ahead, Sairiu crying silently. Sairin began patting her back as she too started sniffling again. Sesshomaru could still feel something tugging at him. He needed to return home, there were quite a few people he wanted to contact about his situation.

()()()()()()()()()()

Elsewhere, an even younger pup struggled to pull herself out of the current of a strong river. When she finally managed to do so, the pup coughed and vomited up a lot of water. She lay there unmoving, taking in the sounds and smells around her and dozed off. When she woke she sat up and looked around, seeing nothing but trees and the river. "Daddy?" She stood up. Her ears swiveled atop her head as she looked around. "Daddy, where are you?" She used her nose and began sniffing around. She wandered the forest alone for days, eating nuts and berries that her dad had taught her were safe to eat. Even catching small animals so she could eat them. She would cry periodically but she would not howl like her instincts demanded of the lost child. She remembered that if she howled, bigger things might try to come eat her. Sleeping in trees was uncomfortable, but there weren't very many trees that had hollows dug out inside big enough for her to squeeze in without becoming trapped. She eventually came upon a well, she was thirsty but disappointed when she saw that the well had dried up. Sighing she coughed, and ate a bit of grass. Her stomach was upset and she didn't know why, but she wanted to eat the grass which made her vomit. Soon she found a path, and rice paddies. She walked along the path gathering glances and stares from the humans that worked in them. She paused, "Excuse me…I'm lost."

The humans were very apprehensive about answering the little youki girl, dressed head to toe in white spider silk. An older female spoke up, "Are you looking for your father?"

"Yes ma'am." Her dad had always told her to be polite to old humans.

"In the village, find Kaede and she'll tell you where he is." The old woman smiled at the bright smile that took over the small child's face.

"Thank you!" The little girl bowed and darted off, hopeful.

When she entered the main part of the village she staggered once more at the stares. Human's made her uncomfortable even though her dad told her she had nothing to fear. "Lady Kaede a demon has entered the village!" A man shouted loudly, causing an old woman to exit a hut followed quickly behind by a highschooler.

"Maybe that's her granddaughter." The young girl thought to herself. Their eyes widened in shock when they set eyes on her.

"Excuse me. I'm lost." She fiddled with the folds of her dress uncomfortably. "I'm looking for my daddy."

"Come into my hut child." Kaede gestured for her to hold her hand and the little girl quickly took it, ears flat against her skull under the intense gazes of the villagers. Inside the hut she was given food which she ate happily. There was only so much food she could gather as a child and she was hungry but happy with whatever the lady decided to give her. Kaede wiped the dried blood from her face with a warm cloth.

"Who is your dad?" Kagome asked, curious about what the little girl would say.

"Lord Inuyasha of the Western Lands and Kingdom!" She answered happily.

"I know an Inuyasha…but he's no lord." Kagome whispered.

"Daddy, has ears like me, and has a huge sword Tes-tetsuaiga!" her statement caused the two miko to pale a bit.

"There's no way she's his kid right, Kaede?" Kagome questioned in disbelief.

"Aye, Inuyasha only recently became of age to mate and this child is much too old."

"She's only like 3 though."

"That may be her age by comparison to a human life but she is much older, maybe 30 or 40 years."

"I'm 33!" The small child chirped.

"She's older than me!" Kagome gasped.

"You're a big girl then aren't you!" Kaede smiled.

"Uh-huh! I'm really good at hunting, and reading too!" the child beamed brightly, happy that she was going to see her dad soon.

"Could she have anything to do with the bright lights in the sky?" Kagome asked Kaede curiously. "There is no way they aren't related in some way. Could she…could she be from the future…like me?" Kagome questioned, her heart pounding.

"Aye, that may be the case." Kaede nodded. Kagome could only stare at the child, her heart aching. She'd been sure that in the future it would be she and Inuyasha together with a family but the little girl's aura was completely youki and she obviously had no idea who she was.

"Hey lady, why are you crying?" The small child asked with a tilt of her head.

A villager poked their head into the hut, "Inuyasha and the others have returned!"

"Little one, please stay here while we retrieve your father." Kaede instructed signaling for Kagome to follow her out after the girl gave a confused nod.

"Kagome's back!" Shippo squeaked happily as he jumped into her arms.

"Inuyasha…there's something you need to see." Kagome whispered.

"What're you talking about woman." Inuyasha growled out, upset that they hadn't found anything.

"We found something, someone who might interest you." Kaede explained.

"Why are you both talking so cryptically?" Inuyasha asked, becoming more annoyed by the minute.

"Little one, please come here." Kaede called. The group heard tiny pattering feet coming from the direction of Kaede's hut. Eyes widened and gasps were heard.

"Daddy! You really came!" The small child chirped in excitement. She skipped over to him and stretched her arms up to be held but Inuyasha was staring at the child in shock.

"This isn't possible…this can't…" He took in her scent and smelled himself in her blood. "What…?" Inuyasha sat down to avoid falling.

She took her chance and crawled into his lap, hugging him and crying. "I was lost daddy! I was scared!" She clung to him, inhaling his scent, and wiping away her tears.

Inuyasha's breathing was heavy as he tried to process the child's existence mentally, and his youki demanding that he comfort the crying child. He looked down at her and let his youki do what it wanted. "Hey, no more tears. You're okay now, right?" She nodded firmly and stood so he could stand as well.

"Is she Inuyasha's daughter?" Shippo asked from Kagome's arms before jumping down and standing with the little girl.

"What's your name little one?" Miroku asked as he leaned down.

"Kiki! Why is Shippo my size? What's wrong? Did you mess up again?" She questioned curiously.

"What does Shippo normally look like?" Kagome asked, crouching down to her level.

"Really tall! Almost daddy height! And he has 4 tails! I only have one." She explained while examining the seemingly shrunken Shippo. "But he's not very nice."

"What?" Shippo piped.

"Everyone come in and get settled, we can chat inside." Kaede turned and headed to her hut.

Kiki went back to Inuyasha's side and grabbed hold of his hand. With the three human's observing curiously. "She's really cute…I wonder if Inuyasha was that cute when he was a kid." Sango commented quietly.

When in the hut. The real questions started rolling as they were away from prying eyes. "Kiki, did you come from the sky? Or from the well?" Miroku asked.

She stopped fiddling with Inuyasha's hair and looked at the monk before looking at her dad. They stared for a moment, "Answer the question kid."

"Okay!" She said with a very bright smile. "I was with Daddy and everyone else. My big brother had an important ceremony, then there was a really bright flash and then I was falling down..." She began frowning. "My big brother wasn't awake and he was falling really far away. My big sisters were crying and holding onto each other. Daddy wasn't awake either and he was falling away really fast too. Papa was bleeding…a lot…" She began to tear up, "Papa tried to get me and my sister's but we all fell away really far, and I fell into the river. Everyone fell away." She started bawling, "Daddy! Where's papa!?"

"I-I don't know." Inuyasha was feeling really anxious.

"Your mate is male?" Sango questioned, she too had thought Inuyasha and Kagome would settle down one day.

"…I guess…ugh…what's going on?" Inuyasha's head was hurting. He felt like someone had come after him with a mace. His chest ached and his blood was racing, there was somewhere he needed to be but he didn't know where. Kiki hugged him as she cried, looking for comfort. He rubbed her tiny puppy ears and rocked her back and forth a bit from where he sat. Eventually she fell asleep in his warm embrace.

"She must be so exhausted, she must have been in the woods for days, it's a wonder she wasn't eaten." Kaede commented.

"Well, if she really is my kid there's no doubt she'd be able to survive in the woods for a while." Inuyasha smirked a bit, he couldn't help but be proud of the little girl. She was even younger than he'd been when he was left out on his own. He made sure his suikan enveloped most of her tiny body to make sure she stayed warm. Her scent was peaceful and comfortable. Inuyasha felt his heart swell a bit; she was feeling that way because of him. Her long dark lashes were still; upon her cherub face. She was still very tiny and babyish though she might have a growth spurt coming up. He stroked her bangs out of her face and held her a bit closer and he felt his youkai purr inside of him.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome's voice brought him back from his musings and he noticed the entire group staring at him.

"What?" He asked gruffly.

"You were out of it for a while. We called you a bunch of times." Miroku explained.

"Whatever, I was just thinking about something." Inuyasha huffed. Kagome's eyes found the fire. She couldn't help but feel cheated in some-way. Her heart ached and it ached even more seeing Inuyasha hold the child that clearly didn't come from her body. She felt her eyes sting with tears.

"Do you all think this has something to do with Naraku?" Sango spoke the question that had been sitting in the small hut unspoken.

"There's no doubt in my mind." Inuyasha nodded.

()()()()()()()()()()

Far away, back in the castle of the west. Guards bowed and their eyes widened in shock along with the villagers that lived in the town surrounding the castle. They stared at the twin girls that resembled their lord. Sesshomaru felt an unusual weight on his clothing. Looking down, he saw the two girls holding onto him with uneasy stares. "Papa…everything looks different…" Sairiu said quietly.

"Everything is dirty and wood." Sairin observed.

"What does it usually look like?" He asked.

"Prettier with the skyscrapers, and cars…" Sairin whispered as the crowd grew larger. When they finally made it to the castle the girls visibly relaxed.

"Mi lord! You're back so soo…" Jaken stopped in his tracks as his eyes set on the two girls. Sesshomaru observed as the girls faces fell into masks and they glared at the toad.

Rin came pattering out soon after gasping, "Oh, they're so pretty mi lord! Are they your daughters?" She grabbed Sairiu's arm only to be pushed down by Sairin.

"Keep your filthy hands off of us human!" The two then turned their heads up.

"Rin is sorry, mi lady!" Rin grinned.

"Well you shh-" Sairin was cut off.

"It's fine." Sairiu said simply. "Sairin…daddy said we should be nice to those weaker than us."

"Humph!" Sarin crossed her arms.

"Rin's name is Rin too!" Rin said happily. Sesshomaru was intrigued. A moment ago, the two were crying, clingy, and talkative. The next they were as cold as ice. They were definitely his children.

"My name is Sairin. Why are you speaking to us?" Sairin growled.

"Okay~! What's your name?" Rin asked Sairiu.

"Sairiu." She said with a small smile. "Papa…where's daddy?" The little one began to sniff and wipe her nose. "Daddy?" She called before looking up at the lord with a frown. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed, so he'd mated a male. It was quite rare for a shiroinuyouki to have more than one child and his mate being male made it all the more interesting.

"He isn't here." Sesshomaru stated calmly.

"Where did...why were we falling?" Sairin asked with a strong pause.

"There was a bright flash…and then daddy was sleeping…" Sairiu whined with tears forming in her eyes.

"Big brother was sleeping too…" Sairin sniffled, "…and little sister was screaming…" They twins began crying loudly.

"I want my daddy!" Sairiu screamed piercingly. "Daddy!"

The girls fell to the ground as they cried. Sesshomaru's eyebrow twitched in annoyance but he allowed them their moment as they'd just revealed very interesting information.

"That's enough! You two are grating on my lord's precious ears! No need to be spoiled brats!" Jaken berated the girls like he does to Rin and they faced him with tears in their eyes.

"Shut up, you worthless toad!" They screamed. The ground began to sizzle as the scent of poison hit the air.

"That is enough." Sesshomaru clipped. He continued on his way into the castle the two girls following sorrowfully behind.

"Papa find daddy…!" Sairin cried.

"I want daddy!" Sairiu followed suit as they followed him into his office.

"Sit there." The two followed his directions and sat on cushions near a low table. They hugged each other close and continued to cry. Rin who had come along tried to comfort them without touching and Jaken merely stood to the side, obviously frightened of the two.

"Daddy I'm scared!" Sairiu cried out to the lord.

The door's opened without a knock and there stood Makoto, Sesshomaru's advisor. "Mi'Lord I was unaware you mated! And to have two children no less!" He exclaimed.

"I do not…yet." He stated simply.

"Are you mad, my lord? There are two little girls, of your blood sitting in front of you!" Makoto couldn't believe what was happening, it was insane to even think that the lord was being this irresponsible.

"You saw the bright lights in the sky as well, did you not?" Sesshomaru questioned. Usually, he would have decapitated anyone serving under him that would speak to him as such, but Makoto was also the castle healer, and had been with the family for millennia.

"Yes, I did, I thought you went to investigate." Makoto confirmed.

"They are what I found. I believe they are from some time in the future as I have not currently mated anyone." Sesshomaru explained. "It's the only explanation that I have for them, as implausible as it may sound. From what they've said, my older self as well as my mate also fell back in time, I think it would be best if I found them as soon as possible. As well as their siblings. There's no telling what forces brought them here." Sesshomaru spoke as he watched the girls interacting with Rin. Sairiu seemed much better tempered than Sairin and was patient in answering all of Rin's aimless questions. "Organize search parties to find them."

"So…you're not our papa?" Sairiu questioned, paying more attention than Sesshomaru thought the girls had been.

"I assume I am much younger right now than when you are born but I am." He explained.

"So, we went back in time?" Sairin asked, trying to be certain.

"Yes." He answered coolly.

The two looked at each other before looking back at the lord. "I thought daddy was joking when he told us that story…" Sairin whispered.

"Is….is Naraku alive?" Sairiu asked.

"Currently." The two girls eyes widened at his answer and they stood in panic and started to leave. Sesshomaru's brows knit together as he moved to follow them.

"We have to leave." They said in unison.

"Where do you presume to be going?" Sesshomaru growled.

"To daddy's village! That's where daddy said little sister went in the story!" They answered together.

Sesshomaru picked them both up by the backs of their ornate kimonos with his one hand. "It is too dangerous for children your age to wander about, where is the village located, I would like to meet this mate of mine."


	2. Chapter 2

After a few days of rest, Sesshomaru, along with the girls, Rin, and Jaken took flight on his youki cloud in search of the village that the girls might be taking about. On the way however, he and his group happened upon a familiar sight. There was a battle raging below between youki he'd never seen before, and Inuyasha. Although, upon further observation he realized that Inuyasha was different somehow. His moves were graceful, and his steps thought out and precise. Landing, Sesshomaru and his group watched with interest as Inuyasha took down the abomination of a youki. Then his eyes turned back and zeroed in on them all and he grinned, shocking the lord a bit. The girl's faces cracked wide with unhinged joy. "Daddy!" Their shout shocked Sesshomaru further, who stood frozen in place as he watched the girls run to embrace his hanyou brother.

"Oh wow! It's lord Sesshomaru's brother!" Rin chirped. Jaken, however, realized the implications of what this meant and promptly passed out.

"Hey, I've been looking for you two." The obviously older hanyou picked them up and twirled them around pulling screams of delight from the two. Sesshomaru couldn't believe what was happening and refused to. Inuyasha's eyes found the youki who growled in anger. "I see you managed to find the ice queen." He said causing the girls to chuckle. "Alright, let's go find your brother and sister, okay?" He hoisted Sairin up so she could hold on and picked Sairiu up in his arms as he began walking away.

"What about papa?" Sairiu asked, looking at the youki lord from over her dad's shoulder.

"He can do what he wants." Was the hanyou's answer, sending the lord a smirk, knowing he'd follow. Which the youki lord did. They walked for what seemed like hours, Inuyasha even picked up a tired Rin when he realized she was becoming exhausted. They eventually made it to a cave, "Alright pups, we're going to stay here for tonight. There's a specter here and I have to deal with it before we can find your siblings."

"But didn't you say little sister was with you in the story?" Sairiu asked with curiosity.

"Yeah, but she's with the younger me and papa is going to go there, remember?" He asked with a tilt of his head.

"Yeah I remember!" Sairin answered.

"Come here you guys are probably really uncomfortable in those kimonos." Inuyasha undressed the two and allowed them to go play in the small stream with Rin and Jaken. He got to work on re-hemming the clothing into something much more functional. "If you have something to say, stop staring and just fucking say it."

"I refuse to believe this." Sesshomaru said with a glare.

"I don't honestly care." Inuyasha raised his eyebrows at the youki lord. "It's not my problem." They sat in silence, until Inuyasha finished the clothing and smiled at his handy work. "Thank god there's so much cloth. Hm, I hope Arashi is doing okay by himself." Inuyasha thought aloud to himself.

Sesshomaru was having a hard time believing that he was mated to his brother, that his brother seemed so different, and the differences in fighting styles. He continued to watch the hanyou from his distance wondering why the hell he would ever consider mating the abomination of his father. The only thing he could think of was their ability to produce fully shiro inu offspring and that was it. Sesshomaru nearly flinched from his musings when Inuyasha whistled loudly. The children came running and he dressed them before starting a fire in the cave and hunting for food. When he returned he had 3 rabbits, he cleaned them all but only spit roasted one, giving the other two to the twins who were ravenous. "Rin it'll be done in a bit."

"Why not just eat it raw?" Sairin asked between mouthfuls.

"Because humans can't eat raw meat sis." Sairiu explained.

"That's stupid." Sairin retorted.

"Pups, eat quietly." Inuyasha demanded. "I'm going to leave you here. The specter is a little ways off and I won't be back until morning. I'll place a barrier with Tetsaiga, you should be safe okay?"

"But you just came…" Sairiu whined as tears started.

"In the story I told you, remember that papa and I have to take care of the specters before Naraku finds out about them, yeah? If we don't and Naraku absorbs one, it'll be a really big problem." The older Inuyasha explained.

"But you and papa are here too." Sairin stated.

"Yeah but we're very young and not as powerful. The specters were made to destroy us as we are now, not in the past." Inuyasha continued to explain as he cleaned the cave a bit more for the children as Sesshomaru listened in.

"You retched hanyou! There is nothing my lord can't do!" Jaken screeched.

"Oh, I forgot about you. You died a long time ago." Inuyasha smirked, getting low as the toad paled. "Yeah, Sess accidentally killed you when he was practicing. You got in the way." He was only joking but he got his laughs out of it

"My lord would definitely bring back his most trusted retainer!" Jaken exclaimed. "There is no one my lord trusts more than I!"

"Well that's just not true. From what I remember it's me he trusts the most." Inuyasha laughed.

"As if-!"

Inuyasha cut the toads rant short, "After all, I desire nothing from him. Not his power, not his lands, nothing. You want things, ne?"

Sesshomaru held his face in check as he thought about the words of the hanyou. Everything was becoming very strange. "How did it come to be? Us, mated." He spoke, cutting off their exchange.

Surprisingly, the older Inuyasha blushed and refused to meet his eye, "I'm not talking about that, it's embarrassing." He unsheathed Tetsaiga and stood at the mouth of the cave. "Alright, I'm going to go. Remember to throw the bones in the fire when you're done. I'll be back soon." Embedding the sword at the mouth of the cave he exited and took off with the lord following closely behind, as his curiosity had not been satisfied. Hours into the night/early morning, however, he found himself watching Inuyasha in a battle once more. The creature soon met its end with Inuyasha searching it's remains. Holding up a solid white sphere, "This is holding an angry soul that takes over remains of any sort. It was trapped in this thing by a witch that hates us and is currently trying to destroy us." He explained before crushing it and freeing the spirit. "Goddamn it I feel gross." He started off in the direction of a spring with the lord still following behind. "It's weird to have you following me around and not saying anything. What do you want?" He asked as he stripped bare. "I'm guessing you wanna know about the future? I'll answer stuff that isn't related to our relationship."

"There is nothing else I wish to know." Sesshomaru stated with a glower. "And you will give me the answers I seek."

Inuyasha chuckled, "Or what?" Sesshomaru's ire rose at the taunt. Rumbling he approached the hanyou quickly, but was shocked when he found himself on the ground and pinned. "This is really easy when you're missing an arm." Desperately trying to free himself to no avail, Sesshomaru growled and readied himself to change into his true form. Inuyasha's teeth clamped onto his throat to prevent him from doing so. They lay still for a moment before Inuyasha removed his teeth. "I'm much older than you are now, and much more powerful." Inuyasha loosened his grip on the youki who in turned flipped them and pinned Inuyasha. Inuyasha merely stared up at the youki in amusement as he could easily get out of the hold. Sesshomaru was red eyed and growling down at him in anger. Leaning up he gently pecked the youki on the lips, the lord's eyes went wide with shock.

"How dare you, filthy half-breed!?" The lord growled. Taking his chance, Inuyasha reversed their positions once more.

"Hmm, I wonder what noises you'll make since you're younger." Inuyasha sighed and laid flat between the youki lord's legs with his face in the crook of his neck. "But that wouldn't be very nice, huh?"

"Release me!" Sesshomaru growled as he felt the hand that wasn't pinning his own down, trailing loosely down his side. Inuyasha kissed his neck leaving bruises. Grinding their hips together as the youki lord struggled, Inuyasha began opening and removing the lords clothing. Sesshomaru's breath hitched as his mouth moved to tease his nipples. "Enough!" He snarled.

Inuyasha laughed a bit, "That's not what I'm feeling." The lord's member was waking with ease as the hanyou knew just what buttons to push to drive his mate insane, and they were very useful now. Taking a thread from his own clothing he tied the lords arm in a way they rendered it completely useless. Which caused the now fully incapacitated youki lord to thrash around in hopes of freedom. He himself was already hard and leaking as he looked down at the youki lord. Sesshomaru glared at the hanyou, obvious contempt in his golden eyes. "Just think of this as a bit of revenge." Inuyasha continued his attack on the lord's chest and he could tell from the straining blush on the lord's body how well he was doing. Sesshomaru was at full mast by the time Inuyasha removed his hakama and licked his lips. His straining hips bucked the tiniest bit when his hot breath caressed it but Inuyasha merely looked up at the eyes watching him silently with anticipation. Stroking his brothers cock and watching as the lord tried to feign as if it didn't affect him was great, it was even better with the amount of precum leaking from the tip. He rolled his eyes before going down on the lord from whom a strangled sound escaped. Causing Inuyasha to lift from him. "Seriously, you're really stubborn. Just enjoy it. After all, no one will know about this besides you and I, and I won't find out for well over 600 years." Sesshomaru didn't want to admit that what his brother was doing was having an effect on him. The pleasure of his warm mouth made the youki want to buck into it until he came.

Growling once more as a moan slipped past and his hips rolled. Inuyasha's exploring hands found his untouched entrance which renewed his desire for freedom. "Relax." Giving one hard suck as a finger entered the lord was rewarded with a loud unrestrained moan which went straight to the hanyou's cock. Inuyasha found the lords prostate with practiced ease and began to abuse it. Sesshomaru threw his head back at the unexpected ecstasy the pressure brought him and was on the verge of cumming when Inuyasha stopped abruptly. The lord glared at the hanyou and watched the hanyou climb atop him and position his cock before sliding down. "Goddamnit…" Inuyasha panted. Sesshomaru bit his lip. The heat surrounding his length was impossible and he could feel himself straining a bit as he renewed his hold on himself, he was dead set on not making any noise. The hanyou pulled his hair over his shoulder and Sesshomaru, for the first time, got a clear view of the mating mark that he'd apparently left.

Inuyasha began to rise slowly and rolled his hips as he came back down. The feelings were all too much for the demon lord whose hips began rolling into the hanyou as his youki surfaced and tried to reach climax. Looking down at the demon lord Inuyasha noted the change before stopping his movements. Sesshomaru growled lowly, "For what reason are yo-?"

Inuyasha cut him off, "Do you want me to untie you?" Sesshomaru said nothing but Inuyasha cut the tie anyway. Sesshomaru, without a word, flipped Inuyasha onto his back. He began a brutal pace that left the older Inuyasha seeing stars as he panted and moaned. The slapping of skin was loud in the otherwise silent hot spring area. The lord finally released his seed deep within the older version of his younger brother causing Inuyasha to cum after him, extending his release with the way he tightened around his member. His hips continued to thrust until he collapsed atop the spent hanyou. Inuyasha shifted, uncomfortably noticing that the lord knotted him. Blowing out an annoyed breath. "Sesshomaru." The lord said nothing as he was busier observing the mating mark left on the hanyou's shoulder. Without thinking it through fully, as his mind was still clouded with bliss from his climax the lord sank his fangs into the mark. Inuyasha felt youki surge through his being as his fangs elongated and pierced the shoulder of his mate. Inuyasha felt his cock rise once more. Sesshomaru's eyes were red as the knot finally deflated but being marked had him hard and ready to go once more. Inuyasha found himself on all fours as the demon lord bred him. Sesshomaru saw how his fangs matched the mark perfectly, it hadn't even registered that he'd been marked. "Sess…" The hanyou moaned. Soon enough the two found their respective climaxes once more. Rising, the lord watched as the hanyou panted on the ground as cum leaked from his abused hole. Soon he rose and got into the spring to clean himself.

Inuyasha rubbed the sore mark on his neck, he felt really odd. He could feel his mate but he could also now feel his younger self, who was seething with rage as he realized he'd been marked. Dodging the light whip, he glared at the lord, "You bit me first dumbass!"

"I needed to be certain of what you said." Sesshomaru growled.

"Yeah well you're old enough to know what happens if you bite into your mate's mark." Inuyasha growled threateningly. Inuyasha redressed and shot a look at the demon lord. "If you attack me one more time, I'm going to hold you down and impregnate you." It was an empty threat, he wouldn't ever actually do that to the young lord but it had its effect in giving the lord some pause. The lord felt the level of youki the hanyou output to get his point across in saying that he could do as he said. "Let's go get the kids and move on to the next specter, since you feel so compelled to tag along." Inuyasha said gruffly as he took off in the direction of his children.

They arrived as the sun peaked over the mountains. "I won't be able to meet up with you for a few weeks because of the plan we came up with." Inuyasha explained to the youki as he started up a new fire to cook the deer he'd nabbed on his way back. "We decided it'd be faster to take care of the specters if we did it alone. So, I'm going to be heading along the stream for a while if you're still planning on coming." Inuyasha explained.

When the children woke and were fed, Inuyasha grabbed his daughters and went on his way with Sesshomaru following at an even greater distance than before. Inuyasha tried not to let it bother him as he knew the Sesshomaru here and the one he knows and loves, are hundreds of years apart and might as well be different people. "Daddy what's the matter?" Sairiu asked, caressing his face with her small hand.

Inuyasha gave her a sad smile, "I miss your papa, I guess." It wasn't just that. Being in the past obviously reminded him of his past and the pain that came along with it. He sighed as he felt his eyes sting with unshed tears. It was the main reason he was here instead of at the village where his mate was currently headed. He didn't want to see his friends, at least, not yet.

()()()()()()()()()()

Back in the village the group was preparing to leave but when they felt a powerful youki headed towards them at a speed even faster than Kouga, the entire group was on guard. It was coming from the direction of the well and stopped with a cloud of dust on the outskirts of the village. Standing there was Sesshomaru. Inuyasha growled and drew Tetsaiga, ready for a fight. Sesshomaru kneeled and held out his arms and a high-pitched squeal sounded from the tiny pup struggling to get away from Kagome's grip. She broke free and sprinted into the stoic youki's arms and the lord shocked the group when he kissed her cheek and held her close. "Are you okay, Kiki?"

The pup nodded excitedly before pointing at the group, "I found daddy!"

Sesshomaru's eyes landed on the group, looking them up and down he winced at the memories of why Inuyasha was ready to fight, sword drawn. Setting his daughter on her little feet, he allowed her to guide him to them. While he was still quite a ways away, it was the high-schooler that spoke first, "Are you…from the future….?"

"Yes." His eyes found a guarded Inuyasha, "I'm not going to fight you Inuyasha." Picking Kiki up once more he tossed her into the air getting a lot of giggles. "Besides, it would make her cry." Standing and holding her with one arm he inclined his head, "Thank you for caring for her. It is time for us to leave now." Sesshomaru began walking away from them.

"Hey, we're not just letting you take her, you sadistic bastard!" Inuyasha shouted.

"You're all free to come along then." Sesshomaru smirked, knowing that the hanyou would.

"Lord Sesshomaru, at least allow the child to join us for breakfast." Was Kaede's request. Observing the ragtag group, he conceded and much to everyone's surprise, joined them in Kaede's hut. Everyone was watching him suspiciously.

"Mi'lord if you don't mind me asking, where is the Inuyasha of your time?" Miroku asked and all eyes were on the demon lord.

"Perhaps he is with my younger self." Was the cool answer he set the bowl of food he was handed near Kiki so she could eat it as well.

"Why did he not come here instead?" Sango questioned, not believing the lord.

"Because he didn't want to see you all." The tremor of shock that went through the group was great.

"We're his friends why wouldn't he want to see us!?" The young miko screeched. Sesshomaru sighed, he didn't feel like explaining why. Humans could be so inane. The group continued on a tirade until the lord finally cut them off.

"You are all dead. He said goodbye to you all long ago and probably doesn't wish to do so again." The room was very silent aside from the slurping of the children who weren't paying much attention. Sesshomaru's eyes fell on the hanyou who was looking quite distraught. He hadn't meant to upset him.

"Um, what's Inuyasha's mate like?" Miroku said trying to lighten the cloud that fell over the room. Inuyasha's ears perked up as he looked to the lord with interest.

Sesshomaru looked down at Kiki. "Kiki how would you describe your papa?"

Her face brightened with a smile, "My papa is the most-strongest ever! And he's the most-prettiest youki too, daddy says so! And he's really nice, and lets me braid his hair, and he's funny cause daddy and papa like playing jokes on each other!" She giggled.

"Aw! What do your papa and daddy like doing together?" Sango asked, very interested.

"Well, papa and daddy like going hiking in the mountains and hunting together and stuff." She answered. Sesshomaru looked at the younger version of his brother as he took in the answers with a slight blush and smile. "He's interested." Sesshomaru thought to himself.

"Do your papa and daddy kiss a lot?" Miroku asked, earning several hits from those in the hut.

"Mmhmm, a whole bunch cause papa and daddy love each other a lot!" The young girl beamed brightly. Sesshomaru watched Inuyasha's face go from light pink to a deep dusty red. The blush even reached the tips of the triangle shaped appendages atop his head.

When they finally set out on the road he walked far in front of the group and listened to their conversations while Inuyasha walked at the back. Kiki started to nap around an hour in and was currently cuddled in the lords strong embrace.

"Inuyasha has four kids, four! Y'know what that means!" Miroku chuckled while elbowing Sango a bit.

Sesshomaru heard a thwack, "Shut up ya pervy monk!"

"Ow! Inuyasha I was only commenting on what seems to be a very healthy sex life!" The monk tried to explain, earning another few hits from the hanyou. Sensing a specter nearby, Sesshomaru stopped the group. Handing off Kiki to Inuyasha he darted towards the specter. He was able to take it down by the time the group arrived. Crushing the soul orb, they continued.

"Hey bastard! What the hell was that?" Inuyasha asked trying to be as rude as possible, in Sesshomaru's mind.

"I'd appreciate the use of my name Inuyasha, after all, have I not used yours this entire time? And I would also like for your language to be better in the presence of the child in your arms as your mate would not be very happy to see her swearing as you do." Sesshomaru reprimanded. Inuyasha wanted to retort but slipped up when Sesshomaru approached and gently removed the tiny girl from his arms.

"You've been calling me all sorts of insults all of my life, if you think I'll show you some curtesy now, you can shove it up your ass!" Inuyasha scowled at the stoic lord.

"I've not called you anything with heinous intent in well over 700 years, so to me your name calling is baseless." Sesshomaru merely looked at the hanyou which made Inuyasha very uncomfortable because he saw no hate nor malice in the lord's eyes like he usually did. "It was what is called a specter. Currently, you and I are very much hated by a certain witch you promised to burn at the stake. We believe she is the reason we were sent to the past."

"We were sure it had something to do with Naraku." Miroku stated.

"Naraku isn't powerful enough to do something like this." Sesshomaru explained.

After a few more hours of walking the humans needed to stop and rest for a bit. Kiki was up and running around with Shippo and Kilala. Inuyasha, however, was very uncomfortable. He could feel Sesshomaru staring at him. "Will you knock it off!?" He shouted at the youki lord. "It's odd enough having you here, do you have to stare at me like that?"

"If you must know I am doing it because I don't really remember you as you are now. My memory is focused on the current you. You're very young here. Would you like to know your age?" Sesshomaru asked, wondering if the hanyou would be interested. He'd forgotten just how uncouth Inuyasha was in his younger years and was unsure how to approach the hanyou as he knew he deserved every ounce of hatred the young hanyou had for him. It was difficult being separated from his mate but he was sure Inuyasha would flip out in some way if he knew. Watching and talking to him were the only things helping him.

"…y-yeah? How old am I?" Inuyasha was caught off guard by how much the lord was speaking to him.

The others in the group leaned in for the answer as well, "Your birthday had passed in the winter, you are currently 986 years old, 378 years older than I am in this world currently. You are also quite a bit taller than you are now, and much more skilled in the art of combat. Is there anything else you would like to know?"

Sesshomaru was weirding Inuyasha out. With the way he was speaking you'd think he was proud of him. Inuyasha's scowl fell in favor of a look close to disgust. "Stop doing that!"

"What am I to cease?" Sesshomaru asked with confusion in his voice.

"Ugghhh! Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha shouted from his tree.

"I am your older brother…" Sesshomaru began,

"That's not what I mean! Why the hell are you being so nice? What happened to the raging monster that you actually are!?" Inuyasha was getting tired of the act his brother was putting on.

"I am uncertain as to how to answer that. I apologize."

"Ugghh! Just stop talking!" Inuyasha groaned, "You're so weird."

"Well Inuyasha if you asked me, I'd say the dynamic of your relationship with Sesshomaru is very different from how it is now. Am I correct in saying this Lord Sesshomaru?" Miroku chimed in.

"Yes, that is accurate." Sesshomaru confirmed.

"What are you two like now?" Sango asked doubtful like Inuyasha and Kagome.

Sesshomaru thought carefully on how to explain their relationship without giving away that they'd mated. "Inuyasha is my second in command. He has control over everything and the only person whose word holds more weight that his would be my own. He is the only person I truly trust as he is the only person who doesn't desire anything from me, lands, wealth and the like." Inuyasha could only stare at this older version of his brother. His heart thumping in his chest as he was having a hard time grasping what his brother had said.

"I'm sorry but I can't believe this. This is just too incredulous." Sango's head was swimming with the information because as far as she knew Sesshomaru hated Inuyasha for just being born. Sesshomaru growled loudly startling the group and putting them on edge but they turned to see Kiki backing away from the river and coming to stand in front of the demon lord.

"Should you be near the river?" Sesshomaru asked, his previous conversation forgotten in favor of disciplining the pup.

"No…" Kiki said tearfully as she fiddled with her hands.

"How would your dad feel if you fell into the river?" Sesshomaru continued as the girl started to cry.

"Sad…"

"So, why were you playing near the river?"

"I don't know…" She cried as she crawled into the youki's lap.

Sesshomaru sighed, he didn't like it when his children cried, especially Kiki because of all his and Inuyasha's children her tears seemed much more dramatic. "Pup that is enough, as long as you remember not to play near the river again." She continued to cry and he pat and rubbed her ears.

"You seem close to his daughter." Miroku commented. "Do you have children?"

"Yes." Kiki settled and just began playing in the lord's long hair while sniffling.

"What about me? What's my future like?" Miroku asked suddenly, excited to know if he had sired a lot of children.

"I do not know. That is a question for Inuyasha." Sesshomaru looked over to the monk, "But I do not think you'll have much of a chance to speak to him. He tends to avoid talking about this period of time regularly. I think it has to do with you all. Shippo refuses to speak on it as well." He explained.

"Alright so, whatever, when are you going to leave?" Inuyasha asked.

"You and I will meet up in a week or so. We cannot see each other before then or something bad will happen. So, we've mapped out which specter's we'll be taking care of to avoid each other." Sesshomaru elucidated. "We'll be leaving when we kill all of the specters."

"What'll happen if you meet?" Inuyasha asked.

"I believe my son will die." Sesshomaru stated solemnly. The conversation died quickly. Everyone had a lot on their minds as the camp readied itself for bed. Kiki decided to sleep with her father this time around, he let her curl up in his fur and his eyes found his brother once more.

The following morning the group had a light breakfast and continued their walking. It was a lot quieter than before. Sesshomaru felt like there was tension, most of which was coming from the miko. Sesshomaru was sure the hanyou would figure out their relationship soon, mainly because of their daughter, and it worried him. The last thing he needed was for Inuyasha to lose his mind and run away. Perhaps it'd be best to ease him into the idea. He already enjoyed the description that Kiki gave but with the way their relationship was in this time it'd be difficult. Inuyasha managed to seduce him in a matter of hours from what he recalled which, now that he thought about it, may have been some inclination to his feelings towards his sibling. Sesshomaru wondered if it'd be that easy to seduce Inuyasha. The hanyou had given him no hints as to how he'd done it, he just knows that he did. Sesshomaru sighed and decided that it would happen no matter what he did. It finally clicked as he sat watching the darkness of night. Inuyasha's swordsmanship improved significantly after this event. "I'm clever, using swordsmanship to get closer." Sesshomaru thought in amusement.

They came across two specters which Sesshomaru took care of with a bit of difficulty. While he finished taking care of the last one the group decided to set up camp. When he arrived, he saw Inuyasha lounging in a tree, watching as his companions worked. "Inuyasha."

"What?"

"Would you like to spar with me?" Sesshomaru asked, sure that Inuyasha would agree.

"Why?"

"Think of it as training. That and I am quite bored admittedly." That's what led to them going at it well into the night, Sesshomaru pointing out flaws in Inuyasha's stances and grip on his sword. By the end, towards the middle of the night, he'd managed to fix some of the biggest holes in Inuyasha's fighting. They were a bit worn and Sesshomaru bemoaned the fact that there wasn't a hot spring nearby, so he settled for a quick dip into the river. When he arrived back to the camp he could feel Inuyasha watching him from his perch. He'd left his fur for their pup to curl into for the night and sat under a sturdy tree. He didn't sleep very often and usually not at all without his mate in his arms. He sat with his eyes closed instead, hopeful.


	3. Chapter 3

The Inuyasha of the future was becoming increasingly annoyed by the rampant emotions he was getting from both versions of Sesshomaru. For a man to be as stoic as he, you would never have guess what a train wreck he was emotionally. The version he was currently with was practically seething at this point. Even Rin and Jaken dared not go near him. It'd been a few days since their fun and it was apparently eating the young lord alive. He set up camp and a barrier for the children before walking up to the lord and getting in his face. "You obviously have something to say. Let's go." Grabbing the arm of the lord tightly and practically dragging him along the older Inuyasha found himself flying off into the trees. He landed on his back and laughed. "Wow, he's pissed." The light whip came flying through the trees next which was easy enough to dodge as he knew all of the youki's tricks for it. Dodging all of the lords attacks he got close enough and pinned him once more, the lord looked at him in complete disbelief. "What did I say I'd do if you continued to attack me?" The lord growled and snapped his jaw. Inuyasha only smiled before using his teeth at the lord's throat to make him submit. It was really nice being stronger than the youki for a change, and he was enjoying it a bit too much. When the lord went limp at the fear of having his throat ripped out, Inuyasha removed his teeth and met his eyes. "For someone who doesn't express themselves you're really emotional." He spoke his thoughts to the dangerous lord before leaning down and capturing his mouth. He could feel the fear the lord felt through the mating. "I'm not going to hurt you Sess, you're my mate after all." He whispered into the youki's lips. He continued to kiss the lord who was confused according to the mark. When he scented Sesshomaru's arousal in the air he could only smirk.

"Release me." Sesshomaru demanded.

"Hm, you're not in a position to make demands, but I think I'll oblige this once." Inuyasha said with a devious grin. Kissing the lord's neck and feeling him up through his clothing had the youki's fear rising. There wasn't much of anything he could do in this position because his youkai was still on edge and submitting to their stronger mate. He felt his anxiety intensify when the hanyou began to remove his clothing. Sesshomaru felt like a puppet with the way Inuyasha was toying with his body. He felt out of control and it was too much for him to handle. Eventually, he found himself bound once more and struggling for freedom as the hanyou reached his virgin entrance. Inuyasha smirked at the blissful expression on the lord's face as his anxious emotions started to smooth over and melt away as he lost himself in the pleasures. "See Sess, isn't it better if you just enjoy our time together?" Inuyasha grinned from his place as he stroked the lord's erection. Coating his fingers in his own precum, Inuyasha plunged into the lord, stretching and preparing the momentarily blissed out alpha. "I wanted to be your first…" He whispered angrily as he coated his cock and positioned himself. Pushing in to the hilt he swallowed the Lord's protesting cry with a kiss. Sesshomaru felt his eyes sting as he struggled with his body, the hanyou made him feel full. Too full. He'd never allowed another the privilege of violating his body in this manner. He gasped when the hanyou finally broke the kiss and his youkai wouldn't let him fight his angered mate. Inuyasha realized what was happening and smiled. Cutting the tie, he looked down at the submitting alpha. "This is definitely eating you alive, huh? Don't worry I'll make you cum hard enough to forget your own name."

"I hate you hanyou!" Sesshomaru growled through clenched teeth.

Inuyasha leaned down, very close as he whispered, "Sesshomaru, it isn't very good to lie to your mate, and mainly yourself. We both know that's not true." Kissing the lord, he pulled out and slammed back in getting what he considered to be the cutest gasp he's ever heard come from the lord. With every thrust Sesshomaru felt the hanyou rub something inside of him that sent electricity shooting through his body. Biting his arm, he growled. Inuyasha pulled his arm away, "Come on big brother, let me hear you." The dark blush and the lustful look in the lord's eyes was really turning the hanyou on. "Damn you're hot…" He whispered to himself as he started pounding the lord into the dirt once more. Pulling out he flipped Sesshomaru onto his knees before slamming back in and getting another gasp. Picking up the pace a grin was plastered on the hanyou's face as the lord finally went blank mentally and was only focused on his body according to what he was getting from their marks. Inuyasha felt a familiar aura approaching rapidly, it made no difference to him as he continued fucking his mate. The figure stopped in a whirlwind and looked on in shock. "Aw, looks like we have company." Inuyasha began stroking Sesshomaru's cock and increasing the speed of his thrusts, as the youki bombarded him with embarrassment and shame. Inuyasha was quite pleased when the lord came with a strangled moan, coating Inuyasha's hand and the ground with his seed. Inuyasha looked back at the youki who'd happened upon them. He was still standing slack jawed, but was obviously enjoying the sight if the rising of his pelt said anything. Inuyasha was definitely going to tease the hell out of the youki when they returned. "Hey Kouga, you wanna join?" He felt his mate flinch at the words as he fucked him through his orgasm. An even darker blush found its way onto the wolf's face as he turned and darted away. Slowing down, he rubbed Sesshomaru's sides and kissed his shoulders. "You have nothing to worry about Sess, I was only kidding." He felt Sesshomaru's cock begin to harden once more as he slowly thrusted into him. Caressing Sesshomaru's body, nipping and sucking they both reached a slow orgasm which left them a bit out of breath but satisfied.

Inuyasha was getting even more embarrassment and shame from the stoic lord. He was starting to feel like shit for doing what he did. The lord was just sitting there staring off into space and it was making his stomach turn. Inuyasha sighed before sitting in front of the youki. Leaning in he kissed him, "I'm sorry…I really shouldn't have done that…" His ears were flattened in his hair as his hands held Sesshomaru's remaining one. "It's just um…I let being stronger than you…sort of…go to my head…I'm sorry." He instinctually nuzzled into the lord and licked his chin. The shame and embarrassment was still running rampant but now confusion was thrown into the mix. "This would be a lot easier if you just expressed yourself y'know. I'm getting all of these emotions and it's making me feel even worse." Sesshomaru said nothing, instead he began to redress. Inuyasha felt the embarrassment and shame spike and saw how stark and still the lord was. Inuyasha realized why when he saw a trail of his cum making its way down the lord's long legs. Inuyasha looked around and searched with his nose for anything to make the lord feel better. "There's a bunch of hot springs in this area, I think there's one in those rocks. I don't think it's too far." Without saying a word or gathering his clothing the lord left. Inuyasha sighed, "Shit."

When Inuyasha arrived at the spring with all of their things he was quick to join the lord in the water. "Sess, I'm really sorry." Inuyasha tried. He was only given a glare in return. "It's just kinda hard to resist messing with you 'cause I won't get to see you again for a bit, and I'm not use to really being away from you…" Sesshomaru stared at the hanyou.

Inuyasha felt anger building in the lord's body. "Is this why you're here? To force us together?" Sesshomaru growled out.

"No. We're here to take care of the specters but we still have to do what is necessary." Inuyasha explained, "…and to be fair…you bit me first…I always thought the younger me marked you…but you refused to talk to me about this anyway…"

"I will remove it, I hate you." Sesshomaru growled.

"Considering we're mated, have four children, and rule side by side anything you say now is really irrelevant and pointless to me. Because I already know how you really feel. I know everything about you." Inuyasha took a seat next to the lord. "I know your likes and dislikes. What lords and ladies piss you off. How you like to relax. I can tell when your stressed. Annnnd everything that turns you on and gets you off." Sesshomaru growled loudly. "Too soon? Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood." Inuyasha sighed and pulled his knees up to his chest. "I like older you more. You're more talkative and you have a sense of humor. Maybe it's because you don't feel threatened in your position, huh? Cause you're so young now, right?"

"You don't know what you're speaking of." Sesshomaru glared at the hanyou seated beside him.

"About how the council is threatening your position because of Naraku, and they don't think you can handle it because it's the first major threat to the west since the dragons." Sesshomaru's eyes widened. "Yeah, you told me all about that and how you were too stubborn to ask for my help. If it makes you feel better they'll only be alive for another century or so. I ended up killing them all."

"Why did you kill them?" Sesshomaru asked, he didn't believe his hanyou brother could accomplish such a feat. The council members were very strong, stronger than he if they combined their powers.

"They were threatening you…and calling you a weak ruler…because of me…and…it really pissed me off. So, I showed them what weak was. I did almost die though." Inuyasha was staring at his reflection in the water. "I really shouldn't have done that…it caused a lot of problems later on…" Sesshomaru examined what he was feeling through the mark, the hanyou was remorseful.

"What kind of problems?" Sesshomaru asked, intrigued.

Inuyasha snorted a laugh, "You having to conquer a bunch of kingdoms type of problems. What we rule over now is much larger and stretches far into the mainland's now. I remember after you conquered the last of the kingdoms you came up to me, and pinched my cheek really hard telling me that I needed to learn to listen to you because conquering kingdoms was exhausting." Inuyasha stood and waded out of the spring, "It's a fun story now so it all worked out."

"Why are you chasing Naraku?" Sesshomaru asked after a long silence.

"I thought you knew…wait duh, I must've told you. Well, he's the reason I was pinned to a tree for 50 years." Inuyasha explained, while pulling on his clothing. "In a word, revenge. Are you coming out?" Sesshomaru said nothing but Inuyasha felt the apprehension as the lord rose. "Mate, I really am sorry." Sesshomaru pulled on his clothing and armor and they went back to the camp. It was quite early in the morning when they arrived, the fire only ambers and the night sky still above them. Inuyasha took a seat next to the lord and leaned on him before dozing off.

()()()()()()()()()()

As the days passed, Inuyasha was improving in his swordsmanship greatly. He was still weirded out that this was the older version of his brother and he actually hadn't said a mean thing to him. "So…what am I like in the future?" The hanyou asked as they arrived back in the camp, catching everyone's attention.

"I'm unsure as to how to put this but you're very different. You're peculiar. It takes someone a while to get use to you."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha growled.

Sesshomaru actually chuckled a bit which weirded everyone out, "Well, while you are no longer as brash as you once were you've grown a lot more cunning, even though you don't believe it when someone tells you. You literally unintentionally became a master at manipulating people and so it takes people a while to get to know you because you keep them at a distance. That, and the fact that you intentionally do somewhat annoying things because of the reactions you're sure to receive because of it and ignore the repercussions because I'm one of the only people strong enough to actually get back at you."

Miroku began laughing, "I just don't see that being possible." Inuyasha growled at his friend.

"Believe it or not, you'll probably get to meet him and you'll see what I mean. From my memories, he's currently harassing my younger self and I was too stubborn not to try and one up him, but the Inuyasha of my time is much stronger than myself here and it's frustrating me…he's annoying." The future Sesshomaru scowled.

"How long until you leave?" The school girl said with quite a bit of an attitude.

"I detest repeating myself human." Sesshomaru said with his stoic mask in place. "My son will be joining us soon, I believe. I can sense him a ways away and so we'll go in that direction."

"Arashi! Arashi! Arashi-shi!" Kiki began chanting and bouncing around excitedly. "I love Arashi-shi so much! He'll be my mate!"

Kagome scrunched her face, as did Miroku. "Honey, you can't marry a family member." Kagome began. Kiki looked at her with confusion and a bit upset.

"Actually, in youki society it's perfectly acceptable to mate even your own siblings." Sango informed, her knowledge of youki was a lot higher than that of her companions because of her demon slayer training.

"What about babies being born wrong…?" Kagome was very confused.

"Well, that only happens to humans and animals. Youki are on a different level when it comes to breeding. Keeping it in the family, so to speak, would produce stronger offspring." Sango explained to those in the group.

"My mom and dad were brother and sister too!" Shippo chimed in.

"Mate! Mate! Mate!" Kiki continued bouncing around adorably.

Sesshomaru smirked, before leaping away and changing into his true form. Tilting his head back he howled. The howl rang for miles until it finally reached the ears of his son, who howled back. His son's return howl, was weak and distressed, he couldn't wait for the humans. Changing back, "Change of plans, something is wrong." He spoke. "He is distressed."

"Then let's go quickly." Miroku said preparing himself.

"No…you are all too slow. I will go myself." Sesshomaru formed his ki cloud.

"I'm coming too!" Inuyasha growled.

"So be it." The hanyou was a bit shocked when Sesshomaru grabbed him around his waist and pulled him close before they were shooting off at speeds far greater than what he'd seen the Sesshomaru of his time pull off. Inuyasha was sure if not for the iron grip the older Sesshomaru had on his waist he would've been thrown off miles ago. He looked up at the stoic face of the lord and then back down at the chest he was mushed into. The man seemed a lot more powerful than his Sesshomaru. It didn't take them long to reach him this way, but what they found was horrific.

The bodies of youki and humans alike lay scattered and massacred and in the middle of the mess stood a shaking shiroinuyouki. His hair was matted with blood and they could smell Naraku. Sesshomaru was worried, his son had never had a need to kill so many youki or humans at once. The off assassin after he and his siblings was simple, this had the makings to be a war. His markings, like Inuyasha's were jagged and pronounced, his eyes a blood red. Inuyasha began to ready himself but was stopped with Sesshomaru's hand on his shoulder. "Arashimaru." The wild eyes of the youki found him. "It is alright now. Come here." Saying nothing the child shook his head.

"They won't die…" Arashi whispered. He'd been chased by the youki and humans for days.

"Then I will forcibly send them to the afterlife." Sesshomaru stated. "Now, come here." Arashi darted to his father as the dead began to rise once more. Sesshomaru unsheathed Tenseiga and opened a portal to the underworld. It sucked the beings into the void, leaving a few shards of the sacred jewel behind. Arashi's markings and eyes returned to normal and he passed out from exhaustion. Inuyasha collected the jewel shards while Sesshomaru checked his son. "Inuyasha, we shall return."

Sesshomaru went slower this time around because of the extensive wounds his son had. Inuyasha watched the lord hold his son gently. "He's really different from the Sesshomaru that I know…" He thought to himself. When they arrived, hours later, the group decided it best to get his son to Kaede's as soon as they could manage. Which meant Sesshomaru going on ahead of everyone to the village himself. It was quite awkward but the woman was able to help while the rest of the group made their way back as soon as they could. It took the group two days to return and his son still had not waken up though now he was clean and easily discernable as his son. They joined them in Kaede's hut quickly.

"Wow…" Miroku commented, "He's very…" He trailed off when he saw the deadly glare Sesshomaru was giving him. The youki had known the monk to be quite perverted and he'd kill him if he even thought of making a pass at his son who was very underaged. That and his son was really touchy about his looks, which is why he refused to allow his hair to grow passed his shoulders. Kiki was crying and he held her close telling her that Arashi was just really tired, even though he had quite a few bandages. His body just needed to focus on healing. When he woke, Sesshomaru planned to hunt as much as the child wished to eat, considering he'd gone head on with Naraku at an age even younger than his dad had. When everyone settled the lord found himself sitting outside watching as his daughter played in the dirt and flowers with Shippo and a few young village girls who thought she was cute.

He was quite surprised when Inuyasha joined him. "You must be worried about him…"

"No, he is strong. He will be fine." Sesshomaru stated. "Would you like to spar? I'd imagine returning so much is bothersome."

"Yeah, sounds good." Inuyasha felt a little odd walking beside his brother. Any moment the kind act could drop. When they were passing the sacred tree, he decided to give voice to those thoughts. "What changed...?"

Sesshomaru met the eyes of the younger version of his mate. Eyes wide and hopeful. It'd been a long time since he'd seen such a look in the hanyou's eyes. A clawed hand found the face of the hanyou who flinched. "I would like to tell you but you'd become quite frightened."

"Feh! As if!" The hanyou barked.

"And yet that is one thing that hasn't changed in all these years. You refusing to admit that you feel fear." Sesshomaru sighed, tempted to capture the lips of the hanyou. Very tempted, so much so that he didn't realize he was leaning in to do so, until he caught himself and pulled away. Inuyasha was looking up at him with a dark blush. Before looking away awkwardly. Sesshomaru smiled a bit at this, it was rare that the Inuyasha of his time reacted in such a way, and it made him want to ravish the young hanyou. "Shall we work on your stances today?"

"Yeah, okay…" Inuyasha agreed, thoughts elsewhere. "What the hell was I expecting...?" He thought angrily. "What the hell was up with that mood anyway?" He continued thinking about how stupid he felt. Unconsciously, he touched his lips before pulling away as a red-hot blush took over his features. He hadn't actually wanted Sesshomaru to kiss him…had he? Inuyasha shook his head, he was just getting his emotions all mixed up. He'd wanted to feel accepted by Sesshomaru for a long time…and now he was just latching on to the older version. The Sesshomaru of his time hated him down to the very core of his being. From what he gathered from the older version it seemed like their relationship would take quite a while to change. Sighing, he chalked it up to his hormones and his coming of age. The youki was extremely powerful, it was reasonable that his youki would desire to mate with him.

"Inuyasha." Inuyasha snapped up at the call of his name. "Are you alright? You seem to be a bit lost. Perhaps we should cut it short today." Sesshomaru said, he'd already made the decision and expected the hanyou to protest but he simply gathered the Tetsaiga and went back to the sacred tree. Sesshomaru could see the blush on the hanyou's face from where he walked and smirked a bit, maybe he wouldn't have to do much to make the hanyou want him. He'd been thinking about it a lot and Inuyasha never gave him many details about what he did in order to win him over, maybe there just weren't very many. Inuyasha hopped into the sacred tree and Sesshomaru watched his back for a moment. "I'll see you in the village, I'm going on ahead." He informed as he continued into the village. He didn't want his son to wake up and panic.

When he arrived, Arashi was still sleeping soundly. Kiki had curled up next to him and was counting for some reason. "Kiki are you practicing your counting?"

"Yes!" She stood up and ran to him. "Where's daddy?"

"He is at the sacred tree. He will join us soon." He picked her up and pet her ears before setting her down so she could run off. Kaede was cooking with Sango's help and Kagome was digging through her oversized bag for whatever she may be looking for. She pulled out a bunch of candy and handed a sucker to Shippo. She began to give one to Kiki as well, "She is not allowed to have that." He stated simply and coldly.

"Well why not?" She asked.

"Inuyasha's mate doesn't allow their children to have artificial sweets. It is bad for her milk teeth." He explained. The girl looked as if she wanted to give her the sweet anyway, which he would promptly take away if she did.

Kiki frowned and teared up when she wasn't given the treat. "I want one too…" She sniffled, looking as if her entire world was crashing down.

"Kiki, how about when we go home you ask your daddy to make apple dumplings. Does that sound good?" Sesshomaru asked, knowing apple dumplings were the little girl's favorite dessert. Stars lit up her eyes and she nodded. Sesshomaru sensed Inuyasha heading this way quickly for dinner.

"I want daddy to make hundreds, so me and papa can eat them together!" She seemed very happy at the prospect and Sesshomaru was glad he avoided a tantrum. Inuyasha was lost on what the little girl was on about.

"Inuyasha can cook?" Sango snorted. "I can't imagine him cooking." The humans laughed when Inuyasha raised an eyebrow.

Sesshomaru wanted to laugh, "He can but he excels at deserts and sweets. It's a hobby he picked up quite a while ago, he enjoys it in his spare time and the children love it. Inuyasha has many talents."

Kiki crawled into the hanyou's lap after he took a seat next to the lord for the first time. "Daddy I want lots of apple dumplings with cinnamon too! I wanna help make them like last time. Okay?" Inuyasha's face scrunched in confusion but he nodded which had the young girl singing happily as they waited for the food to be done.

"Kiki who do you love more, your papa or daddy?" Miroku asked, curious about what the young girl would say.

"Daddy!" She squealed.

"Inuyasha is all of their favorite, from the oldest to the youngest." Sesshomaru thought to himself, feeling a bit sour about it. He always had to be the responsible, strict parent while Inuyasha got to run wild and goof off with them. Watching his daughter snuggle the young hanyou, Sesshomaru wondered why she didn't notice the difference. "Kiki, does your dad seem a bit different?"

She tilted her head in confusion. "No…?" She looked at the hanyou's face and squinted. "Maybe…daddy doesn't talk a lot? Or smile…?" Kiki then hugged the hanyou around the neck, "Is daddy okay?"

"Yeah kid I'm fine, just a lil tired." Inuyasha stated, giving the girl a hug back.

"Then daddy should get lotsa sleep like Arashi-shi." The young girl nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Not long after, the food was served. Kiki once more struggled to use chopsticks properly and Sesshomaru surprised them all when he fed her himself, considering that he doesn't eat human food. Kiki bounced around in her seat, dancing a little as she was fed. When she finished her noodle's and soup she was given spit roasted fish which she happily ate as well. When she was finished she took two more and gave one to Inuyasha who only looked at the little girl before taking it. "Daddy likes fish." She smiled brightly. Sesshomaru removed his fur as he knew his daughter enjoyed sleeping in it and wrapped it partially around Arashi as well, so his scent could help the pup sleep better. He wouldn't be staying the night in the human dwelling and promised Kiki he would be back before she woke. He set the pup in his fur and pet her ears until she dozed off. Walking past the rest of the humans and catching Inuyasha's eyes he made his way out of the hut and then the village. While he'd grown more tolerant for the sake of his mate, he still detested the beings.

Finding the sacred tree, he examined the wound that left his brother pinned to the tree. He recalled how annoyed he was and even trying to remove the arrow himself to no avail. He'd visited the tree countless times over the years and when he visited and Inuyasha was no longer pinned he felt an immense joy, but quickly squished the feelings down behind his supposed hate of the boy. "Inuyasha, if you are tired then you should do as Kiki said and sleep." He said into the darkness. He didn't know why Inuyasha had followed him but there he stood in the moonlight. "I visited you." He turned to look at the hanyou, "I visited you every season of every year you were pinned here. And the day I visited and you were no longer here, I was so very happy." Sesshomaru's clawed hand ghosted over the wound of the tree. "You were very strong to have survived. I was proud of you."

"Why are you telling me this?" Inuyasha frowned.

"Because I don't think I've told you yet…" Sesshomaru smiled a bit sadly, thinking of his mate. "And I miss you." He missed his mate more than he let on. All he could do was focus on how Inuyasha was feeling, and he wasn't feeling very good currently. He was very sad and Sesshomaru could feel his youkai begging to go to their mate, comfort him, kiss him, and let him know he had nothing to worry about. Sesshomaru took a seat below the sacred tree and closed his eyes. After a few minutes, Inuyasha jumped into its branches and they stayed like that until the early morning.


	4. Chapter 4

Arashi felt everything as he woke. His entire body felt like one giant ache. He smelled his father quite close to him and his body relaxed. He also smelled his baby sister plastered to his side still smelling as babies do. Opening his eyes his world was a blurry mess, but he was comfortable and content with the scent of his powerful father. Fully blinking awake he felt a little off about his location. Looking around he saw the fur of his father and human's everywhere. His chest was bandaged and he was unsure. His father wouldn't leave him in a place with all of these humans, nor would he leave his sister. Arashi began to panic, grabbing his sister, he jumped through the roof and landed outside. Taking a chance, he darted into the forest. "Arashi-shi! Stop it!" Arashi was only focused on getting away from the strange human's that might've attacked him, and finding his dad or father.

A blessing came in the form of his father cutting him off and capturing him in a much-appreciated embrace. "Father I want to go home!" He lamented as he was held close, Kiki being squished between them.

"I know, but right now you must calm yourself. You are completely safe right now." Sesshomaru said sternly.

"But I don't feel safe…" Sesshomaru watched as his young heir teared up and began to cry. The lord gave his daughter her freedom as he held his son closely. It'd been quite a while since the young boy cried about anything and Sesshomaru understood the stress of their past was getting to him.

"Do not worry. I won't let anything happen to you pup. I apologize for coming so late." He smoothed down his hair and Kiki hugged her crying elder brother as well, tearing up herself as she'd never seen him cry. Inuyasha finally burst through the brush and awkwardly watched as Sesshomaru comforted the crying young man.

"Please I just wanna go home…" He continued to cry.

"I know, and we will leave as soon as we are able." Sesshomaru was finally able to calm his son to hiccups and sniffles but when his son laid eyes on Inuyasha he knew everything would come to light.

"Dad!" Arashi darted over and embraced the hanyou who's eyes became 3 times larger.

"What…?" Inuyasha said, his scent oozing confusion into the air and then immediately changing to panic.

"Dad?" Arashi questioned, loosening his grip on the hanyou.

Sesshomaru sighed, "Inuyasha...this is what I meant when I said you'd become scared."

"I ain't scared!" Inuyasha growled immediately, shocking his son and daughter.

"Arashi, take your sister back to the village. Immediately." Sesshomaru stated, Arashi wasting no time getting away from the tense atmosphere. "Inuyasha, calm yourself. If you wish to speak to me then we will do so, civilly. I'm not going to fight you." Sesshomaru turned away and headed back to the sacred tree. Sitting back in his place he watched Inuyasha come out of the woods nervously. Sesshomaru observed as the hanyou approached with caution.

"I don't understand…why would I ever? I just don't see that ever happening." Inuyasha stammered.

"But it does." Sesshomaru stated nonchalantly, wishing he'd been able to warn his son not to reveal their relationship as his daughter was doing quite well, being that he kept her close eliminated the need for her to call him. With Inuyasha refusing to speak Sesshomaru sighed. "I'm going to hunt for our son and then I'll be leaving in a few days to finish killing the specters. You'll be coming here after that, speak to yourself about it if it makes you more comfortable to do so." Standing up Sesshomaru headed to the village first to reassure his children that everything would be alright and to explain the situation to his son. Seeing Inuyasha perched in a high tree at the edge of the village he continued on his way, gathering more than enough meat to feed the entire village, which would only be going into the stomach of his child. Much to the human's dismay.

"It's insane not to share this amount of food!" Kagome complained. Earning nothing more than a glare from Sesshomaru.

Arashi, in his humanoid form, tore through a carcass quickly. "And you're eating it raw! Oh my god!" Kagome screamed, causing Arashi to glare at her before continuing his conquest. The lord had made sure to hunt quite a ways out so the game of the village wouldn't be frightened off.

"Don't you think this is too much? There's enough to feed the entire village." Sango stated.

"Then it is unfortunate that they will go hungry. My son is injured and has to recover." Sesshomaru stated simply, proudly watching as Arashi tore a slab of meat from a carcass and gave it to his baby sister who obviously wanted to eat as well. The humans weren't feeding her enough and she was hungry. Sesshomaru didn't want to leave them here until Inuyasha arrived but they still couldn't see each other. No telling how hungry she'd gone when he first came upon them. He never understood why Inuyasha allowed himself to be mistreated as he was. The hanyou needed a lot more food than what he got. "Perhaps he hunted to supplement that." Sesshomaru thought to himself.

"Kiki no don't eat that!" Kagome approached his children and Sesshomaru let loose the most heart stopping growl since he'd arrived. Frightening the entire group as his docile demeaner dropped and causing Inuyasha to run over ready for a fight.

"Kagome, you should never approach youki children when they're eating. Especially if a parent is present. They'll instinctively see you as a threat." Sango said as she pulled the girl away and Sesshomaru was still growling at her. Shippo was looking on in envy, Sesshomaru was sure they'd not be feeding the youki child youki food unless Inuyasha got involved in some way. He'd really have to inquire about the time before he was under the lord's care through his and Inuyasha's mating. The children had only made it through the first few carcasses and Kiki was struggling to break the hide on another with her tiny claws. Sesshomaru picked up the bore and tore it apart for her. Causing her to smile brightly which some of the onlooking humans backed away from. It must be creepy to see a little girl smile while covered in blood. Although Sesshomaru's youkai was very delighted. Watching his children eat was an instinctual pleasure but it didn't compare to watching your pregnant mate eat something you provided. He intended to watch his children devour it all but his eyes flickered back to the small kit. He was very small for his age, he shouldn't be as tall as Kiki, he should be much bigger.

"Kit, you may join them if you wish." He stated coldly, but the kit looked elated as Arashi began tearing off meat that was easier for them to eat. The smaller children wouldn't eat the bones but Arashi left nothing. He was halfway through a deer, even devouring the fur. Inuyasha looked on in interest from his position with his friends, obviously feeling the pleasure of watching the children eat and enjoying the sight.

"Is he going to eat all of this?" He asked quietly.

"The smaller children won't eat as much but since he's been injured he'll eat everything that's left. Youki children in general need lots of fresh raw meat, or they won't grow." he said looking pointedly at the malnourished kit, "and they will die. Which is why they're taught to hunt from a young age." Sesshomaru explained, a small smile coming to his face as his daughter found and was delighted by the taste of the beast's liver. The school girl watched in abhorrent horror as Shippo began wolfing down the raw flesh with gusto. "Kit, when is the last time you had raw meat?"

"Inuyasha always catches extra so me, him, and Kilala can eat it! So, I think 2 days ago." Shippo said with his mouth full. Kagome and Miroku looked at the hanyou shocked. Kagome obviously disapproving.

"Hm, I thought so." Sesshomaru commented.

"Oh my god, they're going to get so sick…" Kagome gagged.

"It is obvious to see that you continuously forget that we are not human. Shippo is not human. Kiki is not human. My son is not human. Inuyasha is not human."

"But he's half human!"

Sesshomaru wanted to roll his eyes, "Regardless of that, Inuyasha has more in common with youki that he does humanity. Nothing that he does and none of his behaviors resemble that of a human's, strange that you've not noticed that. If anything about him resembled humanity, he would have died long ago."

Kagome looked at Inuyasha who was looking at his brother with a disbelieving look, "But Inuyasha doesn't hurt innocent people anymore! He has a heart and he cares about people, he loves his friends." Kagome argued back, Sesshomaru wondering what forces were giving her the courage to do so.

"Sure he does." She was in for a very rude awakening when she met the fully grown Inuyasha, "You say that as if youki are incapable of such." Sesshomaru said sarcastically. Had the girl met his youngest daughter? The little pup loved everything and had a smile for everyone.

"You said it yourself! He doesn't want to see us because he misses us!" Kagome said triumphantly believing she'd put the lord in a corner.

Sesshomaru nearly smirked, "I never said he missed you." Sesshomaru approached the group, stepping past the children putting the humans on guard. "Little girl, what gives you the courage to speak to me as if anyone of you could possibly defeat me. If Inuyasha is unable to defeat my younger self what makes you think he could defeat me over 700 years older. I could slaughter you all within seconds and there'd be nothing you could do about it. Make no mistake, I'm only tolerating you and your meaningless existences for the sake of Inuyasha." With that he turned his back on them and continued watching his children.

"Inuyasha! You can't just let him treat us like this!" Kagome complained. Inuyasha said nothing and simply watched the lords back. He knew he couldn't take on the older lord but he also knew he could kick the youngers ass, after all he was the reason he was missing his left arm but right now, against the stronger lord, there wasn't much of anything he could do. In a way the lord was right, his tendencies were much more youki like than humanlike but he'd spent more time with humans than youki which didn't make sense. His head began to hurt and the villagers who'd gathered to complain weren't helping either. Kiki stopped her feasting and latched onto the lord, when Shippo finished, Miroku and Sango had dragged Kagome into Kaede's hut because she was causing a scene. Arashi transformed into his true form and snatched up the remained carcasses quickly before returning to his humanoid form with a satisfied sigh.

"Arashi. Go rest but understand that I will be leaving in a few days." Sesshomaru watched his frowning son make his way into the hut of the old Miko, sharing the most awkward eye contact with his younger dad. Inuyasha's eyes then found Sesshomaru's once more before the lord left to sit at the edge of the village. The scent of the humans had been bugging him lately and he couldn't stand to be in the village for much longer. Sesshomaru spent the rest of the day hunting and bringing food to his children who devoured every bit. By nightfall he was once more in the hut, watching his daughter fall asleep at his son's side with whom she was speaking to quietly. He saw her give one last sleepy smile before sleep got the best of her. "Rest well, Kiki, Arashi." The lord said before standing and leaving the hut.

He found himself walking a great distance pass the sacred tree. He walked for hours, lost in thought. His mate was feeling quite guilty and he knew why, but he wasn't upset with the hanyou, not anymore. It took a while, but he eventually was able to forgive the hanyou. At the time, he was mainly upset with himself for not going back to his castle. Being bred really made it clear that he was considering being with the hanyou and it frightened and angered him. His youkai found his personality addictive and his confidence and power desirable. He sighed. "Why did our relationship change? How?" Inuyasha's voice sounded behind him. He'd been so lost in thoughts of his mate, he hadn't registered his scent.

Turning to face the hanyou, who looked emotionally worn, Sesshomaru said nothing. Their older selves were the reason for their mating, even though it took them a while longer to become closer. In all fairness Inuyasha marked him first so it was his fault, even if the younger him initiated it. "In short it's your fault. It's complicated because of time travel, but you felt the need to jump my younger self."

"Jump?" Inuyasha asked, the modern term confusing him.

"Sex." Sesshomaru stated plainly. The younger hanyou's face changing to a bright red. "There's no need to react in such a way Inuyasha. It's nothing we haven't already done." His words made the blush deepen with the scowl Inuyasha was sporting.

"But you wouldn't just let me." Inuyasha stammered in disbelief.

"I would." Sesshomaru replied. Inuyasha wasn't looking at him but he could see his blushing face and wondered what the hormonal hanyou was currently thinking of as he eyes wandered the plains of the youki's body. The lord smirked a bit as he knew the hanyou didn't realize what he was doing. "If you'd like to, we can definitely have some fun of our own, Inuyasha." He said sultry, flirting with the younger who took a quick step back and blushed to his ears and chest.

"U-um…that's not what…" Inuyasha stuttered as he felt his youkai hazing his mind. "Y-you hate me!"

The lord rolled his eyes, "My emotions towards you currently are misguided, and I will apologize for them soon." Sesshomaru didn't know what else he could say to the young hanyou. He missed his mate and wanted to hold him close. Touch him. Be close to him. "Mate." He began to slowly approach the hanyou, until he was standing before him. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around the hanyou. "Mate." He whispered, feeling a shiver run up the hanyou's body. Before he knew it, he'd captured the younger's lips. He pulled away when he realized what he was doing, and Inuyasha was staring at him in shock. "I apologize..." Releasing the hanyou he took a step back, hoping it'd help he hanyou relax. "Mated pairs very rarely spend a lot of time away from one another…I miss you…a lot…Inuyasha?"

Tears had begun to fall from his eyes as he stared at the lord. "This…this isn't fair." Inuyasha began backing away from him. "This isn't real. It's Naraku…it has to be." Uncharacteristically, Inuyasha ran away as Sesshomaru initially felt he would, but it wasn't out of fear. The air scented of sadness and confusion.

Sesshomaru followed him for quite a while as Inuyasha ran full speed before the hanyou slowed down, tired. "Inuyasha."

"Go away."

Sesshomaru grabbed the hanyou and kissed him once more when he saw the tears pouring down his face. He felt horrible. To think his Inuyasha never wanted to talk about what happened between them because he'd cried. He felt horrid knowing that his mate was afraid to share such a sensitive thing with him. At least he was here. "There's no need to cry Inuyasha, I'm sure it's your hormones affecting how you feel right now. Do not worry. I am sorry." Comforting Inuyasha was a lot different than comforting his children because of the ingrained insecurities he himself had placed in the hanyou's mind. Giving him something to blame how he was reacting was his way of creating an out for the hanyou, so he didn't feel so powerless. He kissed the hanyou once more before leading him back within the vicinity of the village. They made it to the sacred tree in the wee hours of the morning where Sesshomaru felt the urge to kiss the hanyou again and he did, with a whisper of his love. It was deep and breath taking. Inuyasha had never been kissed in such a way and found himself wanting more from the lord. Wanting the affection while it lasted. He heard a gasp and they turned to see Kagome standing there in shock. Sesshomaru was a bit pissed at himself and then a bit at Inuyasha. He had always had the ability to make him forget everything around him.

"So…is this why you keep running off?" She dropped the small bin of food she was carrying and rushed back towards the village.

Inuyasha began running after her but the strong grip on his arm prevented him from getting far. "I detest seeing you run after women."

"But she's…"

"She is what Inuyasha? I'm your mate, there should be no other more important than I and our children." Sesshomaru stated, the intensity of it boring into Inuyasha.

"I get that but…but she's my friend."

"No, she is not and that is not how she sees you. She treats you worse than even I in this time." Sesshomaru stated, seeing confusion then anger strike across the hanyou's face. "At least my anger and malice was not hidden behind fake kindness. I would not speak sweet words to you then hurt you when you did or said something I did not like." Sesshomaru said, fingering the beaded collar around the hanyou's neck. "I hate seeing this around your neck Inuyasha. Even my younger self wishes for it to be removed." With that he released his grip and Inuyasha still darted towards the village after Kagome. The older Sesshomaru felt his anger build and his youkai flared making his markings jagged and his eyes red.. When Inuyasha made it to the hut, Arashi, Kiki, and Shippo were nowhere in sight but all eyes were on him as Kagome was crying to the group. The stares were making him uncomfortable.

"Well…I guess everything makes sense now." Miroku stated into the tense air. "Kiki said only her parents and siblings were brought here so it makes sense…"

"I can't believe you would do this to me Inuyasha! First Kikyo, and now your own brother!" Kagome cried.

"What the fuck are you on about? You always bring up Kikyo, why?" Inuyasha had never understood Kagome's obsession with Kikyo.

"Inuyasha, Kagome is simply upset because of your, ahem, romantic promiscuity." Miroku tried to mediate.

"What the hell are you talking about? Me and Kikyo were never like that. She was a fucking priestess you idiot. Do you know what that means?"

"Come on now Inuyasha, we all get it. It's hard being with pretty women, and your first love."

"Stop. I literally have no idea why the hell she's so upset."

"Inuyasha, how dense are you!?" Sango said in disbelief. Kagome's tears increased and Inuyasha was not sure of how to deal with it.

Kaede made her presence known as she put on water for tea. "Youki experience romance differently from humans. It is much more instinctual, as they do not feel feelings of romance towards those they are unable to mate with. Inuyasha's youki was never mature enough to see Kagome nor Kikyo as viable for a mate. I would have thought Sango would know much more as a demon slayer." Kaede explained, she had everyone's attention now. "Kagome is very young, and while she is an adult in our world, she is a mere child in her own. Her feelings have been misguided as she is young and inexperienced."

"So, what! I'm old enough to know how I feel." She cried.

"Inuyasha's contact with the one who will be his mate in the future has more than likely solidified his youkai's expectations." Kaede explained, sending Kagome to her knees as she cried harder.

Inuyasha crossed his arms, "Ugh, you'd think I killed someone." He was a bit weirded out by how Kagome saw him but it did explain the kisses. However, for him, they'd always felt platonic and he'd seen family kisses before and that's what he saw them as. Then when compared to what he'd just experienced…they seemed very childish. Inuyasha blushed at his thoughts.

"Si-!" Kagome's voice was cut off by a hand around her throat.

"I truly detest humans." Sesshomaru said as he glared into her terrified brown eyes.

"Let her go!" Inuyasha shouted as the group was ready to attack.

"Hush." He turned back to the girl, "When I release you, you will remove the beads from around his neck. He is not a pet to punish as you see fit. If you do not, I will travel through the well and kill your mother, your grandfather, your brother, and anyone else you hold dear. All that is necessary to travel through the well is the shards of the sacred jewel, which I can easily take from you." He released her, "There is no one in this world currently, or in the future that can defeat me. Do as you're told, child." The child looked as if she would rebel, but with the sizzling of poison at the dog lord's hands she was quick to move to Inuyasha and remove the kodoma. "Only an angry child would believe this was right." Sesshomaru growled. Inuyasha felt a large weight lift from his shoulders. Everything looked a lot clearer, and he oddly felt a lot more stable. "It was incomplete, it was subjugating your youki, making it even more unstable." With that the lord left the small hut as the schoolgirl cried sorrowfully. Inuyasha was uncomfortable in the space as he felt a lot of blame being shifted onto him which is what lead to him sitting by himself and watching Kagome's hysterics.

"Inuyasha we can't let him get away with threatening our friend and her family." Miroku stated, sure of his words.

"What do you expect me to do? Not only is he apparently my mate, he's stronger than the Sesshomaru here. There's no way I could stop him. Besides, I was tired of that fucking thing. Being slammed into the dirt, fucking hurts."

"But you're half youki." Kagome tried explaining, "You heal fast."

"Crazy how I'm half youki or half human when it's defending you, your words, or your actions Kagome. It. Fucking. Hurts." Inuyasha felt himself becoming quite angry, and feeling much freer to speak his mind now that the threat was removed. "How do you think it feels to have my bones repeatedly broken? Or to have my teeth knocked out from hitting the ground. If I was human you'd never do that to me, but because I'm a half demon it's okay. You're just like the fucking people here Kagome! You treat me just like they do. You treat me worse!"

"Inuyasha! That's harsh!" Miroku tried, but it was obvious the years of abuse were cumulating.

"Then you had the audacity, the actual audacity to think I wanted to be with you romantically. Man, ending up with my jackass of a brother really doesn't seem so bad now that I think about if what you wanted were to come true. Constant agony." Kagome was a mess with the way Inuyasha was tearing into her.

"I'm sorry Inuyasha…"

"Yeah well sorry ain't good enough." With that the hanyou left the hut and went to sit alone, in the sacred tree. It was weird without the weight of the beads of subjugation as he felt more like his own man again.

Back in the village, Sesshomaru was watching his son play with his daughter and Shippo. He was running them through basic training exercises, most of which Kiki already knew and Shippo was having fun learning. Arashi was very good with children because of his sisters. He himself, wanted to give the boy a brother as well, but Inuyasha hadn't been keen on having another child. From where he sat he watched Inuyasha head back into the woods. He'd heard quite a bit of what had occurred and thought it best to give him space. His eyes lingered at the spot Inuyasha disappeared he wanted to comfort the boy, he wanted his mate near him, and only looking at him.

()()()()()()()()()()

Things were starting to feel a bit bleak for the older Inuyasha. The younger version of his mate was still following him and feeling sour and the older version was feeling longing and sadness. Inuyasha didn't think it was fair that he was stuck in this predicament. He really wanted to see his mate but now he was heading for the village, full of all his old memories, and his mate wouldn't even be there. "Daddy are you okay?" Sairin asked from her position on his shoulders.

"Yeah puppy I'm fine." Inuyasha smiled.

"Whatcha thinking about daddy?" Sairiu asked from his side.

"Your papa." He answered.

"Do you wanna see papa soon? I wanna see papa." Sairin questioned making Inuyasha feel a bit more put out and sad, especially since the twins favored the youki.

Inuyasha frowned a bit, "Yeah, I want to see him very soon…but when we get to the village he'll be gone." Inuyasha groaned loudly. "I don't want to go to that village."

"But Arashi-shi is there and Kiki too!" Sairiu reminded him, happy to see her siblings once more.

"Yeah that's true! So, I'll perk up and we'll all have fun until your papa comes back, ne?" Inuyasha said actively, even though he was in a bad mood.

From afar, Sesshomaru watched the older more powerful Inuyasha chat with the young pups. He couldn't believe that Inuyasha could ever become such a being, he refused to. This Inuyasha was on an entirely different level, there was no other explanation than him being from another world, not the future. The Inuyasha of his world was weak, a mere bug in the scheme of things and would be removed when the lord saw fit. He would never amount to an inkling of what he and his father were and could never hope to. That's what the lord thought but there was a nagging "but what if" in the far reaches of his mind that he was actively trying to push down and destroy. From what he was getting from the accursed marking left on his body, the hanyou was feeling very horrid. It was bothersome to have another's emotion impeding on your own. He watched as one of the little girls ran back to him, from what he could tell it was the mean twin, Sairin. Rin waved enthusiastically when the girl approached her. "Why do you follow my papa around? Don't you have your own parents?" Rin paused and her mood clearly went into the ground.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at the bold, inconsiderate girl. Inuyasha was with them in a moment and without any hesitation, hit the girl on the head, as he'd seen him do to the kit in his pack, causing her to cry. Sairiu watched from behind her dad shaking her head at her sister's misstep but the damage was already done as Rin smiled as her tears ran down her face, "Rin's mama and papa went to heaven…"

Picking his daughter up by her obi as she cried, he placed her on Sesshomaru's two headed dragon, Ah-Un that was trailing behind Sesshomaru and Jaken. "Stop crying." The young girl's tears stopped and she sniffled. "Why do you think that was an okay thing to do?"

"I don't know…" She replied tearfully.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her, "Well then you're gonna sit by yourself until you figure it the hell out." The girl burst into tears once more but he only moved to comfort the small human girl who probably hadn't received a hug in a long time. "Hey hun, don't cry alright. Everything will be okay. You got to follow Sesshomaru around for a whole bunch of years before you wanted to get married. You're gonna be fine, okay?"

"Really!?" The small human perked up, immediately brimming with happiness as she ran off to play.

They continued walking for a few more hours before Inuyasha stopped. "I think now's a good stopping point. I'm not looking forward to going to the village." Inuyasha sighed, ignoring his daughter as she cried for him, but knowing she wouldn't dare move from the place he put her. Sairiu ran off to play with Rin near a few fruit trees that has a multitude of flowers growing at the bases. "Jaken go make sure they don't do anything they shouldn't."

"You don't get to order me around han-!" Jaken scurried off when he saw the glare he was being given. Inuyasha sighed and went to move his daughter to a different place so the dragon could graze freely. He set her at the base of a tree with a stern look, before jumping into the branches and relaxing. She eventually stopped crying and sat tearful and bored. Inuyasha looked at her and became pissed off. The only reason she was like that was because of Sesshomaru and he'd definitely get an earful when they finally saw each other once more. He was careless in the things he said to their children which gave them all sorts of anxieties and misdirected them from the type of people Inuyasha was trying to raise them to be. Arashi was on track but his anxiety about his appearance and his habit of comparing himself to his parents was ridiculous and holding him back. The purpose of having long hair was to protect the neck and back, shiro inu hair was as strong as steel. While his two middle children had shorter haircuts, it was only because of a prank. Usually their short, bobbed hair was long and very curly, but a prank by Arashi made for his dad resulted in the two crying quite fitfully, a lot of scolding, and cutting of the little princess's hair. Needless to say, Arashi was still being punished because of the loss of some of the girl's defense.

As the noon neared night, he hopped down and went to hunt for the children, he happened upon some boars and brought them back. Giving two to his daughters to eat on their own he took the last, smaller one, and cut it up before roasting it on the fire for Rin. When the children were full, he devoured everything that was left before grabbing his daughters and jumping into a tree. The two fell asleep quickly with his scent.

When morning arrived, Inuyasha felt his stomach turn before he jumped down with the girls, startling them he set them down before turning to vomit. "Ah shit, I knew it."

"Daddy are you okay?" The girls asked together.

"Yeah I'm okay Saisai." He nodded before sighing heavily. He noticed the younger Sesshomaru watching him from afar. Obviously curious. What a brat. He thought to himself.

"Why did daddy throw up?" Sairiu asked, holding on to his hand before hugging his leg.

He would prefer to tell his family all together as he did with Kiki, but he shrugged and knelt down. "Well you remember when daddy was sick before?"

The two nodded before Sairin's eyes widened in realization, "Daddy's gonna 'ave another baby!?" She squealed happily.

Sairiu's eyes widened but she frowned. "I don't want daddy to have another baby…" He picked her up and kissed her cheek, she had taken Kiki's birth hard too because she was use to being the youngest and getting all the attention even when her twin picked on her. When he wasn't as available to the fragile young girl she threw a temper tantrum for the first time in a long time. It took her quite a while to become close to the new baby.

"Well that's not fair, when Arashi learned he was going to get you two he was very happy and promised to be the best big brother ever. Don't you think the new baby is gonna need the best big sister's?" He was trying to get her more into the idea.

"No…" She whined.

"You definitely get this from your father." He commented. He then wondered how Kiki would react to the idea of a new baby and was starting to look forward to heading to the village. It'd been a few days since they started and they would make it there by nightfall. "I think the baby will be sad and cry a lot since its big sister doesn't want to take care of them."

"No..." She started crying.

"Sweetheart come on, why don't you want daddy to have another baby?" He asked exasperated. Feeling like Sesshomaru was to blame in some way. As he said before, the youki wasn't careful with his words.

"Sairiu doesn't wanna share papa and daddy anymore. 'Cause papa and daddy are always busy and never around." Sairin stated after a while.

Well they had been very busy dealing with that witch and tried to be home as much as they could. Sesshomaru was running the country and Inuyasha was hunting the witch and all of her subordinates. He acted very much like an assassin for the country. "Well thank you for telling me, when we go home daddy'll be around a lot more, just for you all, okay? Daddy promises." He made it a pinky promise and could tell his daughter felt leagues better. They then set out with Sesshomaru's group trailing behind, but Inuyasha reminded Sairin that she was not off the hook yet and would be punished properly when they arrived home.

Inuyasha caught Sesshomaru staring at him and felt his confusion, anger, incredulity, and just a tad happiness. Inuyasha rolled his eyes at his narcissistic assumption. Inuyasha assumed he could have been pregnant before they were sucked here. It was a few days after the season, which he and Sesshomaru spent every moment tangled together. "I was already pregnant dumbass." Sesshomaru could only glare at the hanyou's back.

"How many children are there?" The stoic lord asked a bit later.

"4. I thought the brats told you already." Inuyasha replied. "Arashimaru is the oldest. Then Sairin, and Sairiu. Kiki is the baby, you're really gonna love her. One boy, three girls."

"Ha, a hanyou could only give my lord one boy! Mi'lord could do much better." Jaken squawked from the supposed safety of Sesshomaru's side but Inuyasha merely started laughing.

"Oh please, I've only been pregnant once before, and that was with the youngest, and there's nothing wrong with our daughter's so watch your mouth toad." Inuyasha pointedly glared. He felt Sesshomaru's shock, "Hey not my fault. You're just easier to impregnate." Sesshomaru stopped and Inuyasha turned to see him looking a bit paler and his hand twitch, wanting to bring it to his stomach. "You're not pregnant. I promise. Time will go as it should and that won't happen for another 500-600 years or more or something." Inuyasha felt the lord relax, "You know for it not to show on your face, you're a mess with your emotions."

"Does the younger Inuyasha know about this?" Sesshomaru asked as they began on their way once more. They were a few miles away from the village now and Inuyasha was getting anxious.

"By now, I should." Inuyasha sighed. Walking towards the sacred tree Inuyasha was shocked to see himself standing there. The younger hanyou turned around and his eyes widened when they saw his current group.

"What the fuck…?" They said in unison. Shocking both the older and younger Inuyasha. The older Inuyasha's head became a bit fuzzy as he felt like his memories were being rewritten. The older Inuyasha shook his head and continued on into the village. His mate had changed something. His group passed the younger Inuyasha, the younger Sesshomaru and he shared a prolonged eye contact. It was weird. For the first time, the young Inuyasha saw uncertainty in the lord's eyes. It shocked him enough to leave him staring as they made their way back to the village.

When the older Inuyasha made it into the village. He hadn't anticipated Kagome coming out and yelling at him. She was so much tinier than he remembered her being. He rolled his eyes at her rant and pushed her down. "You should pay more attention to who you're talking to wench." Stepping over her and passed his shocked friends he made his way to the clearing where the rest of his children were located. His friends were looking at him in shock. Noting how tall he'd become and how he looked every bit the demon lord that he had become. Sesshomaru was nowhere in sight. Inuyasha could feel his aura fading fast as he realized he'd come a lot earlier than anticipated, and that it was definitely his fault. He sighed heavily as his memories finally settled, as he was glad that his younger self darted after the lord when he felt him leaving. His son and daughter greeted him with hugs immediately. "Are you okay?" Inuyasha asked, looking his son over.

"Yeah, m'fine…." His son's hug was a bit longer than usual but the hanyou didn't mind, he was happy to see his son safe and healthy. The boy then hugged his other sisters and asked them if they were okay. They could see the younger Sesshomaru standing quite far away as he refused to enter the human village.


	5. Chapter 5

Sesshomaru felt his chest burn as he strained to get away from his mate. His youkai wailed and demanded he go back and ravish his mate for as long a time as they spent apart. When he was sure he was far enough away he nearly collapsed as he felt his memories being rewritten. "What is he thinking? Coming here so early. He obviously didn't finish what he was supposed to do." Sesshomaru growled to himself. He sat and rested for a moment, feeling extremely uncomfortable because he'd left his fur behind and he felt stretched thin, with part of him so far away. He shook the feelings away and looked up when he sensed Inuyasha, the younger Inuyasha, nearing him quickly.

After about a half hour Inuyasha appeared before him. "Why'd you leave?" He asked, catching his breath.

"As I said before. My mate and I are not to see each other for a specific amount of time. He was not supposed to arrive as early as he did." Sesshomaru growled to himself. They sat silently before Sesshomaru stood and began to walk away.

"Where are you goin'?" Inuyasha asked as he stumbled to follow.

"To take care of the remaining specters. Is there any reason you are following me? I would have thought you'd like to question yourself about our relationship." Sesshomaru stated as he listened to Inuyasha's footfalls behind him.

"It was…too weird seeing myself…" Inuyasha responded after a while. Sesshomaru slowed down to keep pace with the hanyou and they walked silently. Shoulders bumping every now and then. "So…explain it…because I don't understand."

"This event is what caused it. Us coming back to the past and outlining a lot of things…my desire that I masked behind supposed hatred. I am unsure as to what happened otherwise, between this you and I as you refused to tell me." Sesshomaru looked down at the young hanyou to see him scowling at the lord. "What is it?"

Inuyasha slowly moved away from the lord, "So um...what's going to happen?"

Sesshomaru frowned, "I wish I could tell you Inuyasha but when we leave…it'll be entirely up to you…whether you accept me or not…" Inuyasha rubbed his arm in uncertainty. The lord grabbed his arm and pulled him close, "and I do hope you pick the future we've shown you Inuyasha. I can admit that I am not the best of people, nor am I the best of mate to you initially, but I will devote myself to you for eternity."

Inuyasha blushed furiously and pushed the lord away, "But it doesn't change what you did! What've been doing to me my entire life!"

Sesshomaru smirked and returned the hanyou to his embrace, "And I've spent hundreds of years making up for my wrong doings against you Inuyasha. At least, you are able to give me the chance." The lord didn't know how he felt about the possibility of losing the life that they have. He wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. His life was perfect. A feisty mate that always kept life interesting and lively, a powerful heir, and three princesses that looked up to them as if they could move the moon. His life and family meant more to him than even the throne of the western lands, he didn't want to lose them. Inuyasha found himself kissed by the lord once again. Whenever the lord kissed him a pleasant buzzing went through his body as his youkai tried to connect to the lords and ask for more. He'd recently come of age and would be going through his first heat soon and he could tell his body wanted more from the lord with the way it heated.

The hanyou pulled away once more, his face flush with a hot blush, "But…what if…you don't…want…me…?" Inuyasha felt his hormones coming back full and he felt his childhood and long history of rejection coming back to haunt him. Sesshomaru's strong hands rubbed his sides.

"I assure you, there is no one I desire as much as you, even in this time, my Inuyasha." He whispered in the pointed tips of ears. A hand slid to the hanyou's hips before gliding up again.

Inuyasha whimpered uncomfortably and Sesshomaru removed his hands. "I'm sorry. I truly miss you mate. It is hard, as I said before, to spend time away from one's mate. Please allow me this." The lord entwined their fingers and Inuyasha blushed to the tip of his ears. They started walking once more and Inuyasha wouldn't look at the lord and was trying his hardest to avoid doing so. They walked for hours before coming upon the first specter.

()()()()()()()()()()

It'd been more than a week of he and Inuyasha traveling alone and the hanyou had become quite use to his touches and need to kiss him. They still worked on his swordsmanship but overall Sesshomaru felt as if he'd made quite a lot of progress. Inuyasha was now very comfortable being near him and had even flashed him a smile here and there. He adored the hanyou's smile. Sesshomaru had already taken out around 7 specters and the time was approaching quickly, for when he'd be able to return to his mate. "How many are left?" Inuyasha asked. He'd learned a lot about the nature of the specters and he hoped when time came he was able to handle it.

"There should only be three left. I already took care of the ones you missed by rushing." Sesshomaru stated, a bit annoyed by his mate.

"So…how is it being mated to me?" Inuyasha asked when they found a place to settle.

"Active. There are rarely any dull moments, and our children take after you in that regard." Sesshomaru explained.

"Oh…" Inuyasha said unsure of whether he meant it as a good or bad thing.

"In a good way Inuyasha." Sesshomaru clarified. "I'm sure we would've both become old and lame if not for your spontaneity." It became silent then, "Is there something else you would like to ask me?" The lord watched Inuyasha's face become a deep red. He raised an elegant brow. "What is it Inuyasha? You need not be worried about offending me." Inuyasha felt really odd about asking his brother a question about sex that had come across his mind. He stared at the lord, who stared back unwavering. When he started to ask the question, he tripped over his tongue, stuttering and biting it. "Is it a question about sex Inuyasha?" The blush rose to his ears. "You can ask what you will." Inuyasha scratched the back of his head, maybe he should just ask the monk, he'd feel much more comfortable with that, rather than talking to his brother about it, even if there was the chance of them being mates in the future. "Inuyasha?"

"Gimme a second to think! Damn you talk a lot!" Inuyasha snapped before sending a worried look at the youki who didn't seem at all fazed by his outburst. "Well, um…I'm just thinking about this whole mating thing…and kids…and I'm apprehensive," It'd be a cold day in hell before he was scared, "about….y'know…"

"Sex?" Sesshomaru asked straight forward causing Inuyasha to blush. "Inuyasha…are you a virgin?" The lord honestly had never thought to ask his mate about past sexual partners because it didn't matter. The hanyou currently belonged to him so all past partners were irrelevant.

"No…not with women…at least…" Inuyasha admitted. "I just don't really know anything about being with a man…" Inuyasha sighed. "I feel like such a bitch." He thought to himself. He looked up at the lord who was still looking at him without wavering.

Sesshomaru approached the hanyou, tilting his eyes up to his own, "I would be delighted to give you the experience little brother. Whenever you should wish me to do so." Inuyasha's blushed deepened and the lord connected their lips. "Would you like to, Inuyasha?"

"Um...maybe later…" Inuyasha, taking a chance, maneuvered to kiss the lord for the first time. Sesshomaru was a bit surprised but very happy. He really wanted to ravage his younger mate but he'd wait until the hanyou asked him for it then make sure the hanyou knew who his body belonged to. That he and only he could make him feel that good.

Sesshomaru smiled, not his usual smirk but a full on smile which set Inuyasha nerves off and making him blush. It was easy to admit Sesshomaru was a handsome youki but he'd never seen the lord actually smile. "Whatever you want Inuyasha, shall we continue?" He asked standing. Inuyasha nodded and continued to follow him. When they came upon the next specter, Sesshomaru could feel something was obviously wrong. The specter didn't lurch forward in an immediate attempt to kill him upon sight. "Inuyasha, please stay back, something is amiss."

"Oh please, I can take care of myself." Inuyasha said gruffly, unsheathing Tetsaiga.

"Please drop the act Inuyasha, you as you are now cannot handle this threat, and it is incredibly foolish of you to act as if you can. If it were the older you, I would not worry in the slightest." Sesshomaru growled as the specter began to rise.

"Shove it up yo-" Inuyasha was cut off.

"Inuyasha please! I am merely concerned for your safety." Sesshomaru snarled as the specter dashed forward, all of its limbs undulating as it threw itself towards the lord before changing direction and heading for Inuyasha. Sesshomaru had never moved as quickly as he did in that moment, sending the creature thought the forest with enough force to break it apart. It put itself back together, shifting and rumbling as it prepared to attack once more. With a look he made sure Inuyasha was behind him as it surged forward which the hanyou clearly did not appreciate. Sesshomaru, using Tokijin and his light whip tore the beast apart but he could not find the soul orbs. The creature resembled the hoard that had attacked his son and it could only mean one thing…Naraku. It was clear that Naraku had come upon one of the beasts before the lord managed to, most likely one that his hanyou lover had missed in his rush. The vile spider hanyou was playing copycat and creating the beasts. Sesshomaru growled, he was using the shards of the sacred jewel. Sesshomaru had no choice but to shatter the creature completely to find it but he hated making messes. Using Tokijin he engulfed the abomination completely using his dragon strike. The creature wailed and the lord spotted the two jewel shards used to create the monster as it's blood, flesh, and gore coated both he and Inuyasha. Darting forward through the rain of bits and pieces he managed to grab the tainted shards as they fell back into the mess.

Inuyasha wrapped them in some cloth to prevent them from attaching to either inu. "Did you really have to destroy it like that?" He growled lowly. The two reeked of the rotting corpses and the stench made the lord wish to pass out. He couldn't smell anything other than the gore and it took them a long time and killing a normal specter before they were able to find a hot spring. Sesshomaru spent hours cleaning his hair as his clothing just needed to be rinsed and the youki cloth would take care of the rest. Inuyasha sat on the other side ridding himself of the stench as well. "It had jewel shards…does that mean?"

"Yes. Naraku is aware of them, but I doubt he is aware of you and I being here from the future." Sesshomaru confirmed.

"How many are left?" Inuyasha asked curiously.

"Two. They're along the mountain side." Sesshomaru answered.

"You can sense them this far off?" Inuyasha raised his eye brows.

"No, you told me where they are and I told you where the ones you took care of were." Sesshomaru stated, which made a lot of sense to the hanyou considering it was him with the older and the older Inuyasha was with the younger Sesshomaru. Inuyasha tried not to look at his brother in all his naked glory and was caught looking which Sesshomaru smirked at. His mate was never shy around him, the shyness had ebbed in about 3 years of them being together as they had, as Miroku put, a very healthy sex life. "Inuyasha you need not be worried. You can gaze upon my form as much as you wish. It pleases me to know you find me attractive."

"Don't be a conceded asshole." He growled in response but looked up, his eyes roaming the youki's body, taunt with hidden muscles, and his legs went on for what seemed like forever. He blushed when he realized he was thinking of his brother in a very sexual way and his thoughts had never gone down that path when they were speaking. He took a deep breath, controlling his hormones was becoming very difficult.

()()()()()()()()()()

The older Inuyasha had caused quite the stir in the village as he began chopping down trees and taking tools from the villagers. He was building a large, more modern type of dwelling that the villagers wouldn't see for another 50 years, complete with a nice furnace and a wooden latched door and windows. When he was finally finished, after two days of ignoring everyone besides his children he smiled happily. There were two separate rooms and a common space where he'd be able to cook different types of dishes. The reason he'd done so was because he couldn't have his children sleeping outside all the time and there were too many of them to pile up in Kaede's hut. He knew his mate would appreciate it when he returned as he didn't like humans very much and they'd be here for another few weeks. His kids clapped happily when they saw their temporary home. Inuyasha had made blankets and bedding out of the hides of the animals he'd been hunting and so the hut looked very cozy and comfortable. He planned to let his children sleep in a puppy pile in one room and the other was for he and Sesshomaru.

His four children were playing around in the common space as he was making a nice stew with the vegetables Kaede had given them, a deer he'd caught and shared with the old woman, and several youki vegetables. Up until now she was the only one he'd spoken to, because she was truly his oldest and most trusted friend and his respect never wavered. There was a knock at the door and his children quieted. He opened the door and scowled at the gang standing before him. "Wow you did a really nice job on this place." Miroku commented cheerfully. He rolled his eyes and gestured them in.

"What do you want?" He asked gruffly as he stirred the contents of the large pot of food. Kiki toddled over and latched onto his leg and eyed them. She'd gotten use to her father being near when the humans were. Sesshomaru's fur remained where she'd left it in her place at the low table and it twitched a bit. While she felt completely safe with her dad, she wanted her father to protect him too.

"That smells so good!" Shippo commented, drool spilling from the side of his mouth.

"We just wanted to talk, but you've been busy, with this." Sango said as she looked around with an impressed whistle.

"This is nothing, if I wanted to, I could've given each kid their own sound proof room, and electricity. But meh, I'm lazy." Inuyasha grinned when he saw Arashi's upset face, knowing the boy preferred the finer things in life. He tasted the stew and nodded, it was ready. He'd made rice as well and dished it out to the children.

"May we try? We've heard your quite the cook now." Miroku commented with a smile.

"No." Inuyasha said simply, watching the children dig in. Before any of them could protest he continued, "There are youki vegetables included that could probably kill you." Miroku nodded his understanding. "Ask."

"Come again?" Sango questioned.

"I know you wanna know about the future or whatever so just ask." Inuyasha sat behind his youngest and wiped her face before giving her a spoon to make eating easier. She was much more delighted to have a spoon and ate quickly. He kissed her head between her little puppy ears.

"Well, I'd already asked Sesshomaru and he said it'd be best to ask you. I was wondering about my future." Miroku said.

"Do you really want to know? Wouldn't that take the fun out of life?" Inuyasha asked with a raised brow.

"Um well…I suppose." Miroku stated rubbing his neck.

Inuyasha's eyes found Kagome who'd not said a word since she arrived. "Daddy, I want more please!" Sairiu asked.

"Me too!" Sairin chirped happily.

"Me tooooo!" Kiki raised her spoon in the air. He'd made the largest pot that he could and there'd been a reason. His kids would eat the entire pot. Arashi could technically eat the entire thing himself but he was on more of a meat diet because of his injuries.

"Arashi could you please?" Inuyasha asked as he continued to speak with his pack from long ago.

"Yeah dad no problem." Arashi did as he asked, quickly giving the girls and himself second helpings of the stew and rice. Arashi looked down at Shippo who sat quietly with empty bowls. "Hey Shippo do you want more too?" Arashi asked. Inuyasha was pretty proud of his son. Shippo was pretty much his older brother and picked on the young youki all the time, but here his son was being kind even though Shippo had been extremely mean to him when he was the kits current age. Inuyasha became a bit pissed off thinking about it as at one time he was truly about to murder the kit. Had it not been for Sesshomaru, the kit would have definitely been dead. Kitsune aged and matured much slower than many other canine species and Shippo had been going through something he needed to work out but he refused to talk to he or Sesshomaru about it and so they sent him away to a youki boarding school for the safety of their young and at the time, only pup. He was much better now and had even recently taken a mate. He acted much more like an older brother to the pups.

"Yes please!" He said excitedly. Usually he didn't get seconds because the humans didn't need to eat as much. Arashi gave him a large helping and the children continued to eat while he spoke with his former pack.

"Daddy, can I bring some to papa?" Kiki asked sweetly.

"Go for it. Do you know where he is?" Inuyasha asked. Kiki nodded vigorously as Inuyasha stood and packed some up for the youki and then a bit more in case Kiki decided to sit with him as she usually preferred to. "Remember, go straight there and use your nose okay? And if that toad says anything mean to you tell him your big brother will kick his ass." Arashi looked up and scowled at his dad for setting him up for fights. "Oh hush, all you'd have to do is punt the little fucker." This caused the group to laugh as all knew too well how easy it was to hurt the retainer of the lord. Packed up with food and extra raw meat because Inuyasha was feeling a bit sentimental towards his mate, Kiki took off in the direction she smelled her papa. Her papa didn't talk a lot but she loved snuggling with him the most. It was really cozy and warm. When she came upon him he was leaned against a tree but his eyes opened slightly when he saw her causing her to giggle. Her dad had explained that there were two papa's right now and this papa didn't talk a lot and he was hurt. She set her heavy pack next to the youki who sniffed it curiously before looking at the girl. "I do not eat human food child."

"Daddy said humans can't eat this 'cause it's youki food." The small pup struggled to open the tightly drawn pack and whimpered before looking up at her father for assistance. "Papa…help…" The lord looked down at the babe, she looked very much like Inuyasha but her blood was fully inuyouki. He opened the pack for her and she carefully, with all the focus the pup could muster, placed stew in two bowls and rice in two more.

"Did Inuyasha make this?" The lord asked whilst eyeing the stew.

The pup pulled her bowls with her and sat flush against the lord as she ate, "Uh-huh." She responded between mouthfuls.

Sesshomaru began eating and was pleasantly surprised. His youki purred and buzzed pleasantly as he ate what his 'mate' had given him. He then noticed the wrapped pieces of bloody raw meat that remained in the pack and grabbed one with his chopsticks. Dipping it in the stew he brought it to his mouth, enjoying the food much more than he expected to. He heard the pup whine next to him as she looked on enviously. He grabbed a strip of meat and placed them in her bowl before watching as she ate messily. Her golden eyes bright and full of untainted innocence. They continued to eat together and Sesshomaru was unsure of how he felt about the pup. She was quite different from her siblings but it was probably her age speaking. He thought back to when Inuyasha said he'd love this particular pup and he could now understand what he meant by that. He'd seen her be rough and loud with Inuyasha and her siblings but when she was with him she was quiet and calm, she was the only one of the pups to display this behavior. He found his hand petting her tiny puppy ears as she ate. She merely looked up and scratched her ears when he'd removed his hand. When they'd finished what Inuyasha had sent the pup rested her head on his leg and drifted off to sleep with the feel of him petting her hair and ears. His youkai had never felt more content than how it felt currently. It was dark out and the moon was high in the sky. He eventually packed the things the girl had brought and rose with the tiny pup in his embrace. She still smelled of babies and milk, it was a clear sign that she was recently weaned, and his youkai swooned at her close scent.

When he arrived at the structure the older Inuyasha had created the door opened to reveal Inuyasha sleepily rubbing his eyes in shorts, or what looked like incomplete hakama to the lord. Inuyasha gestured him in and took the pack from him. "Put her in the room to the left." Inuyasha stated as he rinsed everything off to prevent that old food smell from permeating the dwelling. Sesshomaru opened the door to see the other three pups lying together with his fur pulled in various grips as they slept. He removed some of the pups outer clothing and shoes before placing her in the puppy pile. When he turned he saw Inuyasha smirking in the door way. Closing the door, Inuyasha grinned at the lord again. "She made you fall in love, huh?" He chuckled quietly.

The lord wanted to roll his eyes, averting them at the hanyou's smiling face. "Why is she different?" Sesshomaru asked after a moment.

"She's not. She just can empathize more with people. So, if you're quiet and mopey, she'll be quiet and mopey too." Inuyasha explained. "That's why she's really animated with me but a lot calmer around you." Sesshomaru had never been inside the building the hanyou created and looked around with slight interest. "Well, I'm going to bed." Inuyasha stated with a stretch. "You wanna join?" He smirked at the lord who stiffened. "I'm sorry…I promise I won't do anything." He grabbed he lords hand who growled in response. "Come on if I do something…I'll let you cut all of my hair off, but the same goes for you…I just really miss you…mate…" After what seemed like forever Inuyasha finally coaxed the young lord into bed with him. Armor and weapons removed Inuyasha felt his youki purr at the proximity. He loved sleeping in his mates embrace but definitely felt a part of the lord come alive. Sesshomaru, however, was experiencing something very different and very new. His youkai was going haywire in his head, demanding that he bed the hanyou. He was having the hardest time reining it in and was seconds from uncharacteristically darting away to prevent himself from doing something rash. It was only because of his youkai that he even lay here with the hanyou. It screamed at him to comfort their mate who was lonely and Sesshomaru could barely hear his own thoughts over its screeching. He was becoming dizzy, even whilst laying perfectly still as his youkai swam in his thought. Inuyasha finally dozed off with his face pressed very close to Sesshomaru's chest, taking in his scents. In all honesty, Inuyasha hadn't expected the youki to join him in bed. It was a strange turn of events that he was grateful for. He knew his mate from his time usually didn't sleep without him unless completely exhausted. He's come home from traipsing the Earth to the youki dragging him to bed to do nothing more besides sleep. He wondered if he was the cause of his mate's restlessness. Sesshomaru remained awake and aware of the older Inuyasha pressed firmly to his form. He felt his eyelids grow heavy and soon dozed off as well.

When Sesshomaru woke he had only been asleep for a few hours. He opened his eyes looked at his brother who was splayed out on his back. Sesshomaru looked the older man up and down before his eyes landed on the mating mark. There was so much that he wanted to know, and he could admit the older hanyou had his charms but he couldn't connect him to his brother currently. That is what solidified his aversion to the hanyou. Their supposed children were all unique in their own way and it was obvious they were a fertile pair and could keep their species from going extinct. With four pups and more on the way Sesshomaru could concede that it was their best hope for the shiro inu clan. Another thing he couldn't understand was why the hanyou himself would desire to mate with one who'd treated him so heinously. Sesshomaru had never had a kind word for the hanyou even before his birth, yet he willingly gives himself to the lord. He wanted to know what changed, what could possibly make Inuyasha desire to be with him. Sesshomaru found his remaining hand caressing the sleeping face of the older hanyou, who instinctively nuzzled into him.

Sesshomaru felt his youkai vibrate wanting to wake the hanyou but he felt a spike in his chest of a very undesirable emotion. The lord sat up abruptly, realizing where his thoughts were going once more. The hanyou shifted before sitting up as well. "What's up…?" He asked sleepily. The lord didn't fear anything, and he'd be damned if he allowed even himself to call him a coward. He captured the hanyou's lips, surprising the man. Inuyasha sighed and moaned as Sesshomaru made his way down the hanyou's body. The lord would admit, because he was no coward, that mating his brother had its upsides, but he was wondering what the repercussions would be as there could never be good without bad. His mouth found and sucked on the mating mark harshly, earning a shudder as the hanyou's body was brought to life. "Sess..." He moaned. Sesshomaru made quick work of their clothing and began preparing the hanyou for what's was to come. When he was finally sliding into the tight heat of the hanyou he was fully awake and his claws making pinpricks on his back but adding to his pleasure. When he was fully seated, Inuyasha immediately rolled his hips and smirked up at the lord before connecting their lips. Sesshomaru began a slow pace before speeding up. He nipped and sucked, leaving markings in very obvious places, though they would heal within the hour. With one of Inuyasha's legs over his shoulder he sped up. Inuyasha groaned as the youki's cock rubbed his prostate at a good angle. Sesshomaru's youkai surfaced as it got what it wanted, fucking their pregnant mate, and making him beg for more. The wet sounds and panting were loud as the lord claimed his body. "Sessho...maru…harder…mmm…" Inuyasha knew the lord, while missing an arm, couldn't pound him through the floor how he wanted but he was sure the lord could go a little harder. While he wasn't a masochist he definitely enjoyed rougher, kinkier sex, especially the time his Sesshomaru had him pinned to a wall with his hands bound and his head drawn back with the unrelenting grip on his hair as the lord fucked him, nearly shattering his pelvic bone in the process. He was out of commission for about 4 days afterward. The younger Sesshomaru could definitely oblige, it took the hanyou by surprise a bit as he was even rougher than their initial time together. It was just what the hanyou needed as he came a few short minutes later trying not to be loud. Sesshomaru then spent his hot seed inside of him as he rode out his own orgasm. He didn't knot this time due to Inuyasha's pregnancy. He rested his head on the hanyou's chest as he pulled out.

Inuyasha felt more relaxed than he had when they initially went to bed and he could definitely fall asleep once again, even with the sensation of his mates cum leaving his body. The hanyou's eyes widened with the realization that the lord broke their agreement. He grinned evilly as he'd force the older to accept the punishment. "So, what bought that on…?" Inuyasha questioned as the youki settled once more.

"I am trying to understand." The lord pulled the hanyou close and closed his eyes.

Inuyasha smirked, "Okay." He thought as he thought about all of the lord's emotions. The lord was currently very content and before they'd initially gone to bed he was very horny and uncertain. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and snuggled up to the lord.


	6. Chapter 6

This was it, the moment the older Sesshomaru had been waiting for. The final specter. Once he destroyed it, he'd be able to make his way back to his mate whom he missed dearly. Crushing the soul orb, he was tempted to yell out in victory as his silly mate does. Looking behind him, the younger Inuyasha was watching calmly. Sesshomaru walked over quickly, and embraced him, kissing him and invading his mouth. The kiss deepened with every moment before Sesshomaru pulled away and allowed the hanyou to catch his breath. "I'm very happy that I get to see you once again Inuyasha." The younger frowned and they continued on their way. Heading back to the village but not as quickly as Sesshomaru's youkai demanded. He could tell the younger was feeling quite down and didn't understand why. Sesshomaru stretched and led them back to one of the many hot springs they'd passed on their journey. It took a day of walking but when they made it, Sesshomaru stripped quickly and relaxed in the water. Inuyasha joined him a short while later and the lord approached him in the water. "What is bothering you Inuyasha?"

"What are you talkin' about? 'M fine." Inuyasha grumbled.

"It does not take a mating mark to see that you are clearly upset. It is odd to me for you to not be straight forward. Please be clear on how you are feeling. It makes things easier." Sesshomaru stated causing Inuyasha to glare.

"I'm. Fine." Inuyasha bit out.

Sesshomaru was going to sigh and roll his eyes but instead he pulled the naked Inuyasha into his equally naked lap and hugged him from behind. "I apologize if I've done something to upset you."

Inuyasha's blush was red hot but burned even brighter when he felt Sesshomaru's cock begin to harden and press against his body. "I-it's not your fault." He stammered.

Inuyasha felt the lord's hands begin to explore his body. "You mean the world to me Inuyasha..." The hanyou felt his body begin to heat as the lord touched him. Eventually the hands pulled away and Inuyasha looked back with a heated blush. "I'm sorry. I lost myself a bit." Sesshomaru backed away from Inuyasha to give him space. The InuHanyou looked away and mumbled. The lord's eyes widened, "Come again Inuyasha?"

"I…didn't mind…" Inuyasha's ears flattened on his head, "…could…could you…"

Sesshomaru smirked, he thought his mind was playing tricks on him. He pulled the hanyou to him once more and saw the hanyou was semi-hard from his ministrations. The lord was excited. Inuyasha would think of no other when he was finished. "Come this way Inuyasha." Sesshomaru made Inuyasha sit on the edge of the hot-spring and spread his legs. Inuyasha refused to look at the lord.

Sesshomaru was very turned on by Inuyasha's shyness. It was cute. Before he began, "Inuyasha, if you want me to stop then tell me, and I will. Do not think I'll think any less of you for doing so. I want to make sure you're okay with this. Okay?"

"Y-yeah." Inuyasha wanted to be mad at the lord but the concern was attractive and made him feel better about the situation. His hormones really gave him no relief as it felt like he had a hardon every 3 steps. He'd been having dreams as well. He didn't know why they'd be of the youkai that hated him with every fiber of his being but now his youkai reached out to the lord every chance it got. Bottomline, the young hormonal hanyou was horny and curious. Sesshomaru grinned, knowing the hanyou was about to lose himself. His mate truly knew his body well and focused on his sensitive body parts in the way that he liked but he also knew what the hanyou enjoyed the most in the bedroom. Inuyasha of the future was quite kinky but when he was younger he preferred to take things slowly and enjoyed the intimacy of it all. He started at the hanyou's chest, sucking and scraping his fangs against nipples and leaving hickies littered across the hanyou's chest. Licking his neck and sucking where his mating mark would be, Inuyasha moaned and bared more of his neck to the lord. Sesshomaru smirked and dipped lower. He brought a hand to caress Inuyasha's rapidly hardening member. Inuyasha looked down just in time to see Sesshomaru engulf the head of his member into the warmth of his mouth. His breathing came harder as Sesshomaru sucked quickly. His skilled mouth working wonders. The lord was pleased to see him enjoying himself and even more so, happy that his lover had never been a quiet one. It turned him on to no end. Sesshomaru focused and began deep throating the hanyou who cried out as he was nearing his end quickly and trying to buck into his brother's mouth. Sesshomaru pulled off and Inuyasha let out a frustrated whimper. Pulling a clawed hand through his hair as he stood and loomed over the hanyou, Sesshomaru smirked at the way Inuyasha's eyes widened. This young maturing Inuyasha was about a foot and a half shorter than him. A blush of scarlet was obvious on his face as he examined the lord's body. Sesshomaru remembered the first time Inuyasha told him that he thought he was attractive. It was awkward, and the lord felt a bit embarrassed about it at the time as no one had outwardly told him he was beautiful since he was a child. It actually brought a blush to his face considering it was his mates opinion, and his youkai cared a great deal. He caressed Inuyasha's face thinking about how far they'd come. One hand traveled down to his puckered entrance. He rubbed it and Inuyasha tensed.

"Relax Inuyasha…I won't hurt you." He leaned down and captured waiting lips. He entered Inuyasha with two fingers at once while stroking his cock to distract him. It worked for the most part, aside from some uncomfortable squirming. As Sesshomaru stroked and prepared him, Inuyasha looked hesitant about something as he looked up at Sesshomaru. The lord paused, "Is something the matter?"

"No…I just…uh…I wanted to…touch you too…" Inuyasha whispered. Sesshomaru felt his face heat.

"Sit up." Inuyasha did as he said, and he brought the hanyou's clawed hands to his straining, neglected cock.

"How do you want me to…touch you?" Inuyasha looked up at him with curious, lustful eyes.

Cheeks rosy, body and hair wet. Sesshomaru's face burned and he couldn't continue looking at the hanyou. "Do as you please…" He hadn't expected the younger to cause such a reaction in him, as his older counterpart was much more skilled in that regard. Inuyasha started slow and experimental but started to pay attention to the markings that adorned even his manhood. "Damnit…agh…" He panted as precum dripped from his cock heavily. It's clearly been too long since he last buried himself in his mate. Soon, the lord had had enough of Inuyasha's teasing, innocent stroking, and roaming of his body. Moving Inuyasha's arms around his neck, he kissed him as he positioned himself, and started pushing in slowly. Rocking in order to inch his way into the wonderfully tight heat of the young hanyou, when he was fully seated he noticed the death grip Inuyasha had on him. Inuyasha was biting his lip hard enough to draw blood. "Inuyasha are you okay?"

Said hanyou took a deep breath, and Sesshomaru felt his body relax. After a few minutes Inuyasha rested his head on the lord's shoulder. "Are you going to move?"

"Depends, do you want me to?" Sesshomaru asked, getting a shy nod in response. With that, he started a slow, very vanilla pace, while searching for the hanyou's prostate. As he sped up, Inuyasha's cock was caught in the friction created by their bodies sliding together and Sesshomaru's youkai began to rise. Soon all you could hear was the slapping of skin and their moans. Inuyasha gasped suddenly, gripping Sesshomaru harder than before and Sesshomaru began aiming for that spot. Inuyasha became exponentially louder, egging the lord on as he endured the way Inuyasha tightened whenever he hit his prostate. Sesshomaru lost focus and sped up to a pace the older preferred. Soon, Inuyasha's previous moans were mere whispers by comparison to how loud he'd become.

"Seess….slooow…" Inuyasha whimpered. It brought the older lord back, he took a deep breath to calm himself and continued at a slower pace. He kissed and licked Inuyasha's chin in an apology. Soon, however, Inuyasha's body began to tighten. His cock rubbing tightly in-between their bodies and Sesshomaru's cock rubbing inside of him and rubbing his prostate. He was dizzy with the pleasure as Sesshomaru's skilled hands toyed with his body. "Ahhmmm…" He moaned. Sesshomaru sped up just a bit, realizing how close the hanyou was to cumming and wanting him to explode. He took hold of his trapped cock and pumped it in tune with his thrusts and Inuyasha's entire body tensed and shuddered as he came. His hips rolling into his driving hips and thrusting hand. Sesshomaru came a few short thrusts later because of the vice grip Inuyasha's climaxing body had on his manhood. Thrusting into Inuyasha's tight hole, he felt himself explode deep within his lover who was still high on his climax. Sesshomaru made sure not to crush Inuyasha as he recovered. After a while, Inuyasha squirmed a bit, uncomfortably. He gasped when Sesshomaru pulled from him and felt extremely weird about the lord's cum dripping from his body.

They cleaned up in the hot spring and when fully dressed, Sesshomaru pulled the younger close and kissed him before using his ki cloud to dart them in the direction of the village. He was moving slower this time, so he wouldn't run out of youki, as he was already stretched thin. Inuyasha rested his head on his shoulder and dozed off as they traveled.

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When the younger Inuyasha woke, he was in the lord's lap as he rested against an old tree as the morning sun warmed them. "Good morning. How are you feeling?" It felt weird to ask his mate such a question as he usually always knew the answer.

"I'm okay, just thirsty." Inuyasha stood and took in his surroundings. They were only a mile or so away from the village.

"Shall we?" Sesshomaru smirked. He was very excited about seeing his mate and children once more, knowing that they'd more than likely saved their son's life with their strategy. The two darted off and into the village. The first thing they noticed was the new, more complex hut.

Soon, three little heads poked out of the hut. "Papa!" The three little girls squealed as they ran to and jumped on their father who they'd missed dearly. Sesshomaru couldn't help the smile that they brought to his face as he checked them over and accepted their kisses as they whimpered and whined for his attention. Sairiu started crying and clinging to him, he rubbed her back letting her know that he wasn't going to leave again. Inuyasha's old pack came out at the ruckus and gasped when they saw their Inuyasha, who merely looked away in annoyance. When Sesshomaru set a consoled Sairiu down and looked up at the hut he saw his mate standing there with a smile. Sesshomaru rushed over meeting Inuyasha half way and captured his lips in a show of love and devotion. The kiss was deep and the hug tight as they nipped and sucked.

"So, you missed me then?" Sesshomaru teased.

Inuyasha pulling away teasingly, "Way to ruin the moment. I was happy to see you."

Sesshomaru smirked and pulled him back to him, "and I you." The lord kissed the older Inuyasha's neck and mating mark before finding his lips once more.

"Ewww." Arashi groaned as he came from the fields with Shippo. "I think my appetite is gone."

The mates refrained from rolling their eyes. "Are you fully healed now, Arashi?" Sesshomaru asked, looking his son over.

"Yeah, right as rain." He confirmed.

"Inuyasha! Where have you been!?" Kagome exclaimed when she saw him. Inuyasha groaned before he started walking away. Kagome followed after him and the older Inuyasha watched the interaction closely. To prevent Kagome from following him, Inuyasha jumped into the tallest tree he could see. She couldn't sit him out of it anymore, so he wasn't worried in the slightest. As the day went on, the young Inuyasha observed from his perch but soon he was joined by himself.

"This is weird…this is weird….please….this is too weird…" The younger rambled incoherently, as he looked at himself.

"Yeah I know. I've been through this. I'll make it quick, so you can get back to moping and pining after our mate. You should make up with her. At least come to civility." Inuyasha stated.

"No."

"Yeah, I know she's a bitch, and doesn't realize it. Whines too much. Treats us like a goddamn pet but you know why we're here yeah?" Older Inuyasha asked.

"Because of the witch." The younger replied.

"Yes, and we've been in this loop for probably eons without being able to figure out how to keep our kids from dying. In some, Arashi dies, in any other Kiki does. I don't want to lose any of my children. Any of them. I love my family and my life…it's everything I've...we've ever wanted. I've been thinking about it more and more the list of things we've tried to change in order to save our kids. I've watched my kids die little me. And it hurts to think about. They haven't even had time enough to live. So, when it's your turn to do this, hopefully you'll just have to do what I'm doing now. You won't have to think up a million strategies to keep our kids alive. Kagome is the only thing, that was never mentioned because in every timeline, we…killed her."

"What?" Inuyasha asked in shock.

"She…she did something and we lost it…completely. We have to forgive her. She's just a kid. You'll know when the time comes." The older stood and stretched with a sly smile. "So, did you enjoy fucking my mate?" The younger Inuyasha sputtered and began choking on his own spit. His eyes were wide as he looked at himself, only to find the older grinning before bursting into laughter. He was laughing so hard he nearly fell out of the tree. "Don't be such a prude, I already know about everything that went on between us. He's great in bed. Don't worry, I'm gonna tease him too."

Leaving the younger to consider what he'd said, the older jumped down and left in search of his mate, ready for a few rounds to make up for lost time. He eventually found the lord in the hut he'd built. Sesshomaru was lying on the floor of the commons with their three youngest pups on top of him as his nipped and tickled them in retaliation. Inuyasha enjoyed seeing them play together. Being that the lord had given birth to Arashi and the twins, they were instinctively closer to Sesshomaru than Inuyasha, but the same was true for he and Kiki. When Kiki noticed him, she hopped up and asked to be held, which he obliged. He snuggled his youngest pup for a while, tickling her and making her squeal in delight. Sesshomaru sat up and spoke with their kids for a while about how they were feeling about where they are. "Hey, I need to talk to you." Sesshomaru looked over at his mate with a sultry grin, before standing and following him. He didn't notice the pair of scissors Inuyasha had created from the teeth of a youki he'd killed.

It was nearing noon and Inuyasha was finally speaking with his group about Naraku. He kept glancing at Kagome every now and then, thinking about what the older version of him said. He was about to pull her aside when the older Sesshomaru came peeling out of the forest with the older version of him right on his tail. He heard Rin and looked towards the edge of the village where the Sesshomaru of his time stood, watching the duo. Inuyasha turned back to see his older-self grab Sesshomaru by his hair and pull him back and causing him to fall. "If you don't let me do it that means you lied to me!"

"You cannot fault me for something I agreed to well over 600 years ago!" Sesshomaru growled.

"It wasn't 600 years ago for me!" Inuyasha growled back. "Come on Sess. I wanna see you with short hair, it'll grow back I promise, and I bet the twins would feel a lot better about their short hair too." Inuyasha coaxed with a smirk.

"I said no! This didn't happen before!" Sesshomaru snarled.

"Well I'm changing it because it's funny!" Inuyasha chuckled loudly. "You're no fun…and now you have officially gone back on your word."

"…fineaodnsit…" Sesshomaru mumbled, turning to his stomach and covering his face.

"What love?" Inuyasha asked.

"Just do it." Sesshomaru groaned.

Inuyasha smiled, "I knew you'd see it my way."

The younger Sesshomaru, Inuyasha, as well as Inuyasha's pack watched in shock, as the older Sesshomaru let the older Inuyasha cut his hair. Granted it was not as short as he had initially intended, he didn't want his mate to feel a long term anxiety because of a gap in his defense. Their oldest three kids made it out just in time to watch. Sesshomaru flinched with every snip, though it was only noticeable to Inuyasha who sat on his back. "At least I know what I'm doing and I'm not giving you a messed-up haircut. Besides, it's about time you tried something new old man." His mate's back was tense as he felt his hair being snipped away. The older Inuyasha looked down, He'd cut his hair from knee length to the middle of his back. Running his hands through his hair his eyes fell upon the back of Sesshomaru's neck. He leaned down and nipped at it causing a visible flinch. "Calm down mate." He whispered before tilting the lords head and sinking his teeth into the lord's mating mark, getting a groan of pleasure. What the hanyou really wanted to do was take his mate in this position, hard and reckless but he'd hold off a bit more. Inuyasha lapped at the blood before he stood to let him up, so he could clean up his fringe. "It suits you. I like it. What do you kids think?" Both the older Inuyasha and Sesshomaru paused for a bit as their memories adjusted.

"I think it's good." Arashi said wondering how long it'd take for his father to explode, knowing the man preferred his hair to remain extremely long.

"I like it!" Sairiu agreed.

"It's okay…I guess." Sairin frowned.

Sesshomaru took a deep, calming breath, looking down at his precious hair that lay around him. He glared at his younger self, wanting to maim him for agreeing to something so stupid. "Calm down Sess, it's just hair, it'll grow back. It's not like I cut that much off anyway, it's as long as mine." Feeling his mate's anxiety and anger. "Mate. Calm down." The older Inuyasha wrapped his arms around the youki's neck. "It's not the end of the world. Change is good, remember?"

"Stop talking to me." He grumbled, untangling his mate's arms from around him and beginning to walk off. Sesshomaru growled loudly in frustration, he'd been so happy to see his mate only for him to do something so inane.

His mate came behind him and held him close. "Come on you can't be that mad at me. After all, we've been apart for so long. Ah, also…I have to talk to you about something. The real thing I wanted to talk to you about…can we?" Sesshomaru looked his mate up and down, then narrowed his eyes. He couldn't feel anything mischievous from his mate, and the uncertainty and anxiety gave him pause.

"What is it?" Sesshomaru asked crossing his arms.

"I'd rather…we talked about this in private…it's really important." Inuyasha frowned.

"What's the matter Inuyasha?"

"Aren't you leaving yet?" Was a voice from off to the side. The older Inuyasha growled and glared at his old pack.

"We'll leave when we're ready and damn well want to! Shut the fuck up, or I'll break your fucking neck." Inuyasha growled, glaring at Kagome.

"Calm yourself Inuyasha." Sesshomaru turned his mates face towards his. He understood why Inuyasha would be so hostile towards her even this many years later but they needed to be rational.

"Whatever." Inuyasha grabbed Sesshomaru's hand and pulled him away, towards the hut he'd built.

()()()()()()()()()()

"I'm pregnant…remember…?" Sesshomaru's eyes widened as he faced his mate. The lord tilted his head in question. "Yeah I'm serious." The most gorgeous smile graced the lord's lips. Shining white teeth and fangs on display only for his loving mate to see.

"How is this making you feel so downtrodden?" Sesshomaru asked, wrapping his arms around his mate and expressing his love in the form of deep kisses and touching his mate's body.

"Because…I don't ahh…know…h-how…long…?" Inuyasha's anxiety shot through the roof. He didn't know how his mate would feel about the probability of his younger counterpart impregnating his mate. It took the lord a moment to understand what his mate was trying to tell him. His youkai didn't react because instinctually he knew his mate was not unfaithful, but it didn't stop the red-hot emotions that boiled in his being. Sesshomaru knit his eyebrows as he stared at his mate. Inuyasha whined loudly when he felt the lord's hands tighten around him, and his anger boil through the mating mark. "I'm…sorry…." He apologized, baring his neck.

"There is no reason to be. I remember your pregnancy…but not as much as I would like…that's why we went to the castle…correct?" Sesshomaru thought to himself.

"Yeah…I guess I need a checkup anyway...to make sure it's okay. Should we go then?" Inuyasha asked, his mates emotions making him feel extremely anxious and upset.

"In a few days, I wish to spend time with you all…Inuyasha, I am not upset with you. I know you were not unfaithful…I am not sure what I am feeling currently." The older youki explained before kissing his mate. Sesshomaru's hands continued exploring his mates body. Inuyasha grinned as his body began heating quickly, he'd missed his mate's touches. Before they knew it, they were a mess of tangled limbs and thrusting hips. Inuyasha moaned loudly as the youki lord claimed his body, youkai buzzing happily. When Sesshomaru exited the hut, he saw the younger Inuyasha up in a tree watching as the three youngest pups tried their hardest to reach him at the top.

"Daddy it's too hard!" Sairin whined a complaint.

"Don't give up." He said, obviously entertained. Sesshomaru could see the rest of his pack gathered around Kaede's hut but he didn't see his son or Shippo in the vicinity. He smelled them close by but he needed to speak with his kids about their situation.

He whistled loudly, causing the girls to climb from the tree quickly and come running. Arashi was there in seconds and all were standing attentively in a straight line from oldest to youngest. Sesshomaru looked at his youngest, it was adorable how hard she was trying. "Your dad and I have taken care of the specters, but we aren't out of the woods yet. If we leave here without killing the witch, there is a chance she will kill our younger selves and then none of you will exist anymore. This is a very serious situation, you will be with one of us at all times."

"""Yes sir!""" the oldest three stated. When he looked at his youngest pup she'd started to tear up and then cry.

"I don wan papa and daddy to die…." It only took a second before she was wailing loudly. He hadn't meant to scare her, he was always very honest with his kids about things. He sighed thinking that Inuyasha coddled them too much. Kiki cried and tried to talk but reverted back to baby speech.

The older Inuyasha came from the hut fully dressed and picked her up. "Puppy what's wrong don't cry." He kissed her cheek and held her tightly while patting her back.

"I don wan daddy to die!" She cried loudly.

Inuyasha scowled at the strange statement. "And why do you think daddy's gonna die honey?"

"'Cause papa said so…!"

Inuyasha glared at his mate in annoyance, "Puppy I'm the strongest person in the world, nothing could kill me. You know that, right?" She nodded but continued to cry. "And papa wouldn't let anything happen to me or any of you right?" She nodded again, her sobbing dying down. "And we won't let anything happen to papa…right?"

Her tears had finally stopped but her face was still red, she rested her head on his shoulder and nodded again with a quiet, "Right."

With his youngest sniffling and quiet, Inuyasha turned to his mate, "She's still a baby Sesshomaru. Why the hell would you tell her or any of them something like that and expect them to take it well?" Inuyasha looked at their two middle children, both of which looked ready to cry as well. "Come here puppies, don't cry." The twins rushed to him quickly.

"I'd rather they know the truth." Sesshomaru stated plainly.

"Then tell them when they're older damnit." Inuyasha growled. "It's our problem and our job to keep them safe Sesshomaru."

"Leaving them ignorant is dangerous!" Sesshomaru growled back. The situation was quickly becoming their second argument in less than a day of them being reunited. "Inuyasha, I don't want this to become an argument. If they don't know how dangerous the situation is they'd be more prone to wandering, making it difficult for us to keep them safe."

"Then explain that without terrifying them to the point where they're panicked and crying." Inuyasha turned away from his mate and lead his daughters to the hut, it was time for them to eat.

Sesshomaru's eyes moved from his mate's back to his son who looked away and scratched the back of his head. His eyes then went to the younger Inuyasha that was still sitting in the tree, he blushed and looked away when he noticed him watching.

Chapter 7: Chapter 7  
Sesshomaru sat in the woods contemplating his future. His eyes closed as he listened to the sounds of Rin talking with Jaken as he reluctantly answered all of her strange questions. He could hear three sets of tiny feet approaching him quickly. Well, the third seemed to be struggling to keep up with the initial two.

"Hello princesses!" Rin greeted cheerfully.

"Hello!" The youngest greeted equally as cheerful, while Sairiu gave a more tame greeting and Sairin gave none at all. "Papa is sleeping?" Kiki questioned as the four young girls approached him.

"We should wake papa up." Sairin stated calmly.

"Little girls mi'lord is not-!" The lord heard the toad drop with a thud as he whimpered.

"He had a curse placed on him by the evil toad! We vanquished him!" Sairiu and Sairin said in unison.

"Yay! Vanq-wished!" Kiki answered back.

"We gotta wake little papa up okay?" Sairin stated. "How should we wake papa?"

"Princess kisses!" Kiki giggle happily. "Wake the pretty prince!"

"Okay let's do it!" Sairiu laughed happily as they crawled all over the younger Sesshomaru and began to place light kisses all over his face. He slowly opened his eyes to be greeted by the sight of their wide eyes and bright smiles. He felt the corner of his mouth twitch.

"Su-cess! The pretty prince woke up!" Kiki exclaimed. The older two seemed to be indulging the little girl in a game of make believe. Kiki hugged him around the neck, "Good morning pretty prince." Kiki placed her tiny hands on either side of the lords face before kissing the moon that adorned his forehead, "May the moon bless you eternally." The statement was choppy and a bit too difficult for her to say but she made it. It was a clans blessing, for warding away evil and bringing safety and happiness to the one being blessed.

The younger Inuyasha had seen the girls darting away and wondered what they were doing so he followed. He became very nervous when he realized they were going to where his time's Sesshomaru was sitting with his group. From what he understood, Sesshomaru had been intimate with his older self already. It made him uncomfortable to think about. When he arrived, he watched the little girls play their game and before he realized it, he was smiling. It was very cute, and he ended up snickering, giving away his location. Sesshomaru's head turn with such an urgency that would dictate that he hadn't sensed Inuyasha approaching. Meaning he was either losing his edge or his youkai felt comfortable with Inuyasha's presence while he was unaware.

"Hello Lord Inuyasha!" Rin greeted him.

"Hey little girl." He replied. It was odd to Inuyasha that Sesshomaru was only watching him. That same uncertainty in his eyes. Inuyasha jumped down. "I was following them." Inuyasha stated strangely uncomfortable with the man's gaze.

"Vanquish the dragon!" Sairin shouted as the three girls came over and began to attack him.

"Don't let the dragon take the pretty prince away! Protect the pretty prince!" Sairiu joined her.

Inuyasha was blocking their soft hits with a wide grin, "Why do I have to be a dragon and he gets to be a prince?"

"Because once we defeat you, the prince will break your curse and you will become a beautiful and powerful king!" Sairiu explained. Inuyasha wondered where the hell this story came from. Inuyasha's eyebrow raised at the absurd story but the girls looked like they were having a very good time with the game, so he played along and pretended to be vanquished. What he wasn't ready for was the feel of someone picking him up which caused his eyes to open very wide, as he was face to face with Sesshomaru who pressed his lips to his. The contact was forceful and demanding. Inuyasha felt his stomach knot up in shock. Sesshomaru invaded his mouth as Inuyasha's brain went into overdrive. In a flash, the youki was gone. Inuyasha was reeling, mind struggling to keep up. Sesshomaru had not just kissed him. Not the Sesshomaru from his time, there was no way in hell that had just happened.

Inuyasha was brought from his stupor by the cheering girls. "The powerful king! Now they'll live happily ever after!" Inuyasha looked back up at Sesshomaru but the youki had disappeared quicker than what his senses were ready for.

"Um…let's go back to the village." The girls didn't complain, and he took Rin as well. Reluctant to leave her on her own with the toad unconscious. Inuyasha could feel his face burn and his fingers found their way to his lips as he thought about the kiss. Did that really just happen? Sesshomaru had really done that.

Miles away, flying at speeds a bird youki could only dream of, Lord Sesshomaru darted towards his castle. His youkai fighting him for leaving so quickly, even more pissed at the single kiss he'd given Inuyasha. He couldn't believe his own lack of control. He hadn't even been reluctant to play along with the girl's game. On the contrary, he was quite delighted with the opportunity they'd given him. He barely even thought about it before it happened. His youkai was freaking out inside of him. Demanding he go back and continue with the hanyou. Sesshomaru could smell the scent of his approaching heat, though a while away, it was clear it'd be powerful, and he wanted him by his side. "I can't believe I want to mate my half-breed sibling." He thought about the unrestrained smile he saw on the hanyou's face as he watched the girls interacting with him. Aside from the older version, he'd never seen the hanyou smile a day in his life. He liked it, and couldn't believe he wanted to see it again. "I must be losing my sanity. He's a filthy half-breed cur, with no place...in….this…." Sesshomaru sighed, he couldn't even finish the sentence. He couldn't lie to himself as much as he would like to. He thought about his older self, and how easily the older Inuyasha laughed with him and smiled, like they were truly happy.

His older self seemed so tied to his younger brother. Sesshomaru was thinking about a lot now, and he couldn't convince himself it was a bad idea to mate him. For every scenario he came up with, an equally viable solution to the problem came up. He felt like a fool. "Why must it be him? Of all the people in this world." He questioned his youkai. He's perfect, strong, strong off-spring. Sesshomaru wanted to sleep.

()()()()()()()()()()

In the village, the older Inuyasha was smirking at his mate. "Aw, how cute." He stated, causing the older Sesshomaru to roll his eyes. Inuyasha nudged him with a smile before giving him a soft kiss, "A kiss for the pretty prince." Sesshomaru frowned a bit but accepted the kiss. The mated pair watched the younger Inuyasha walk from the forest as the little girls chattered away.

When he made eye contact with Sesshomaru his face turned a pretty shade of red causing the lord to smirk. "You're too cute."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes with a smile before standing and calling the girls into the hut. His younger self seemed a bit unnerved and he knew it didn't help to have the girls talking all at once. The older Sesshomaru remained where he sat, watching the younger Inuyasha. He seemed to have quite a bit on his mind, but the lord wanted to tease him. Inuyasha once again left the village, Sesshomaru noted that he went in the direction of the sacred tree. He knew why the hanyou continued to return there, he felt a deep connection to that tree, and it helped him feel grounded when things felt like they were falling apart.

Sesshomaru followed him closely making himself known. "Inuyasha are you okay."

Inuyasha had sat on some of the lower roots in front of the tree. "Yeah I'm fine." Inuyasha was looking away from him but he could see the blushing tips of his ears. Sesshomaru smiled. He wanted to pick on him, desperately. Sesshomaru sat next to him and pulled the smaller hanyou into his lap. Causing his eyes to widen in embarrassment. "What the fuck are you doing?" He exclaimed.

"What I usually do for my mate when he is upset about something." Sesshomaru stated calmly. Tucking Inuyasha's head under his chin and using his youki to sooth him. Inuyasha felt his youkai respond to the actions immediately. It'd wanted Sesshomaru to continue to kiss him and touch him but that Sesshomaru had practically faded into thin air. So now this Sesshomaru was doing exactly what it wanted. Inuyasha looked up at him, and the lord looked down with a loving smile. To this Sesshomaru, his mate was absolutely adorable at this age. He wanted to ravish him. He leaned down and kissed him, he could feel the hanyou's youkai mingling with his own as they kissed.

Sesshomaru had planned to tease him, but this was good too. He loved how submissive this Inuyasha was to him. More specifically, his youkai loved it. Sesshomaru broke their kiss and nipped at his throat, which Inuyasha exposed more of. The lord let his hands trail down to tease the sensitive body as the young hanyou warmed and his youkai started to swim in his mind. Caressing the bulge through his clothing Sesshomaru grinned. He could feel his own length hardening as he took in Inuyasha's aroused scent. He felt his own youkai rising a bit as he began to remove the hanyou's clothing. Soon the hanyou was naked in his lap as they kissed and grinded. He looked into the younger Inuyasha's youki filled eyes completely delighted. Releasing his own member, he held Inuyasha close as he coated himself in the sweet-smelling natural lube. "My Inuyasha, my mate…." He whispered as he finally began pushing into that wonderfully tight heat, but he was startled when he felt a hand come around and grasp his throat. He growled loudly startling the young hanyou back to some of his senses and looked up to see his older mate was there. Neither of them said anything, and the younger Inuyasha was caught in the older Sesshomaru's tight grasp as the mates stared at each other. "Mate…calm down." The older Inuyasha whispered.

Sesshomaru relaxed only slightly, his youkai had been startled while in such an intimate position and it was on edge. Sesshomaru let out a shuddering breath as he tried to force his youkai to calm down, knowing it was his mate that had his hand on his throat. His mate whom he trusted with his life. The older Inuyasha watched as his mate struggled against his panicking youkai. "It's okay mate. I'm sorry I startled you." He kissed Sesshomaru's lips, his hand tightening ever so slightly in a dominate display. He was turned on by what he was seeing and creating an Inuyasha Sesshomaru sandwich would be fun, but he couldn't have his younger self going into heat because of his mate. He needed Sesshomaru to suppress his youkai. "Bury your youkai mate." He said softly to the youki, his hand tightening again. There was nothing Sesshomaru could do to fight the dominance in the position he was in. He and his youkai had no choice but to submit to Inuyasha. "Good boy…" Inuyasha practically purred as he felt Sesshomaru's youkai finally recede within his being. "Your youkai was spurring mine-his on and it would have sent him….me into heat, and that wouldn't be good mate." Inuyasha kissed Sesshomaru, never removing his hand from his throat. Sesshomaru was still buried deep within the younger Inuyasha and rocked his hips slightly with Inuyasha's dominance, causing the younger, still a bit dazed with his youkai, to moan.

The older Inuyasha smiled as he saw the lights click on in Sesshomaru's mind about the position they were in. "My mate…there are a lot of reasons I didn't tell you anything about what happened between us. That's what makes this fun." Sesshomaru was given a sadistic smile from his mate, one that made even him a bit nervous. Inuyasha licked his neck, sucking and leaving hickey's wherever his lips touched. He went to all the sensitive spots Sesshomaru liked causing the lord's cock to twitch. He started thrusting slowly into the younger Inuyasha who moaned deeply in the lord's ear spurring him on. The older Inuyasha began tearing at the inuyouki's clothing, exposing his chiseled body to the forest air. Releasing his throat, Inuyasha pushed Sesshomaru and his younger self over, Sesshomaru catching them. Inuyasha began kissing his back, paying special attention to his markings as he continued to fuck his younger self. Inuyasha wouldn't say he was a pervert, only when Sesshomaru was involved. Who wouldn't be when their mate was as beautiful as his? As Sesshomaru's thrusts increased in intensity, the younger Inuyasha's moans grew louder. Sesshomaru himself was struggling, he knew his mate tended to develop particular tastes in the bedroom, but he had not been expecting this.

He paused when he felt Inuyasha reach his entrance. The younger Inuyasha looked up at him in confusion as he watched the lord face be adorned with a blush. The older Inuyasha spread him embarrassingly, taking his sweet time, dragging it out. He started with a languid lick, preforming all types of sinful moves with his tongue. Moves that Sesshomaru would be too embarrassed to describe. The young Inuyasha had a full view of Sesshomaru's face and never thought he'd ever see those types of expressions on his face. A resounding slap was heard and Sesshomaru jerked a bit, "Don't keep me waiting, keep moving those hips." His younger self could hear the grin on Inuyasha's face as Sesshomaru bit his lip and continued to thrust. It was hard to think with so much pressure on his prostate and the feel of his cock rubbing in between them. The older Inuyasha was enjoying himself, this was probably the only time he'd ever be able to do this and he was gonna enjoy it. Adultery was an impossibility within youki matings and while a threesome would be consensual, their youkai wouldn't allow a third, and he felt like Sesshomaru would throw a fit if he even brought it up. Even if the lord didn't believe it, Sesshomaru was quite sensitive about his position in their mating and always had a sliver of doubt about Inuyasha's feelings for him. Inuyasha knew the youki was just THAT in love with him, and he loved him just as much, though he didn't know if he could ever express that to him enough.

Soon the older Inuyasha was lining himself up and pressing into his mate. This got a loud groan from him as he clenched around Inuyasha's length. "Oh, fuck mate, you feel so fucking good." Soon enough, Sesshomaru was blanking as their thrusting synced up. Sesshomaru's moans were loud and unrestrained, thrusting into the younger cute version of his mate while the older thrust deep into him had him turned on like never before.

The younger leaned up and licked his mating mark just before the older ran his hand through Sesshomaru's hair before pulling back roughly as he increased his pace, causing the lord to do the same. "Fuck mate…" Sesshomaru swore as he tried his best to hold on. He was confused and didn't know what to do, had this happened when he flew to his castle in the past? Inuyasha showed no sign of his memory being adjusted. Was it alright for him to enjoy this? The younger Inuyasha moaned loudly as his body began to lock up as he came, Sesshomaru's breathing became heavier at the pressure on his cock as his mate continued to thrust and hit all of his sweet spots. Sesshomaru felt a pressure on his back, Inuyasha wanted him lower, he went down on his elbows, still thrusting into the sensitive body of the younger Inuyasha. He hadn't realized how close his face had gotten to the younger's, who's eyes were open and watching him. For some reason he started to feel even more embarrassed at the intense gaze. The younger Inuyasha was getting hard again as he began to attack Sesshomaru's chest, his eyes still tinted with youki. The older Inuyasha leaned over him, "Enjoying yourself mate?" Sesshomaru felt the knot, tightly coiled in his stomach tighten a bit more. He was going to cum. From watching the older, the younger Inuyasha paid special attention to Sesshomaru's markings, stopping only as he began to reach his end once again.

Sesshomaru felt it begin deep within him as his hips came out of sync. It felt so good, better than anything he'd ever felt before. "AH! Ye-AH! Mate! Mate!" Sesshomaru wasn't a loud lover, so when Inuyasha got him like this it was an extraordinary accomplishment. Inuyasha covered Sesshomaru's mouth and bit into his mating mark as he too came deep within his mate with a shudder, his hips thrusting every ounce of cum from him. Sesshomaru's eyes rolled back as he attempted to mark the being beneath him after being marked. His body thrusting and jerking as he came. Both of the Inuyasha's could feel the lords body shudder deeply as he was simultaneously emptied and filled. Grabbing his mate before he crushed his younger self, he pulled his sensitive member from him, pulling the passed-out alpha into his lap. The younger Inuyasha lay panting on the ground, as cum leaked from both his cock and his ass. "Hmm mate, maybe you enjoyed that a little too much, huh?" Inuyasha smirked at his blissed-out mate. "Hey little me, let's go to the river to clean up." The younger blushed as he finally was able to gather his senses. His face burned a bright red and he couldn't believe himself. He really wanted to be with his brother, all of this over a little kiss.

Picking his mate up they headed downstream from the village. In the shallow water, the older Inuyasha worked on cleaning his mate up before cleaning himself. His younger self seemed very self-conscious and seemed to be struggling with the amount of cum inside of him. Inuyasha smirked, leaning Sesshomaru comfortably in the water. He grabbed himself and pulled him close. "This is going to be very embarrassing and uncomfortable." He warned before pinning his arms and spreading his used hole to allow Sesshomaru's cum to leak out.

"Stop! Stop! I said…stop!" The younger struggled against his own strength. He growled and snapped at himself with his teeth. He was released and pushed down quickly when there was less coming out and he yelped from the pain of being pushed onto his abused asshole.

"If you don't clean properly, you won't feel very good." Inuyasha winked at him and gathered his mate, leaving his younger self staring at him in disbelief. Going back to the sacred tree, he was happy to see that Sesshomaru's clothing had repaired itself. Dressing them both, he nipped at his mate's face, licking his cheek and biting a bit. "Mate wake up." Soon enough Sesshomaru was blinking his eyes open.

"What…did I?"

Inuyasha wore a cheeky smile and said nothing. He only laughed and groped his mate before heading towards the village. There alone in the forest, Sesshomaru stood and blushed to himself. He was very embarrassed; he'd never passed out during sex. He felt like an adolescent learning what sex is. He felt even more embarrassed when he realized just how long his mate had known about this.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Inuyasha was very upset with…himself. The older him was embarrassing and he felt very violated. He stayed in the water to gather his thoughts. "Why am I like that? He's such an asshole…" He muttered to himself. He closed his eyes and tried to meditate a bit. His youkai wasn't raging at him anymore, but he was feeling a bit needy. Standing, he ran to his clothing and dressed quickly. He wanted to be around people for a bit. Stepping into Kaede's hut he was pleased to see none other than the old woman there. He said nothing and laid down on the ground content with listening to her do what she needed to. Soon he felt a hand caress his ears and a brush begin to work through his still damp hair. "How are you feeling Inuyasha."

Inuyasha thought about whether or not he wanted to answer her truthfully, but it felt good to know she cared enough to ask, so he was truthful. "Needy." He replied gruffly.

"Aye, that's to be expected with your maturity period." She said calmly. Her voice was familiar and very soothing to his ears and he found himself dozing off. He hadn't been sleeping properly lately.

Kaede continued to brush his hair with a soft smile, helping him lay down and giving him a cushion for his head. She began to cook a hearty stew for the young man, knowing his youkai was using quite a bit of energy to grow and mature.

In Inuyasha's hut, Inuyasha was cooking for the 4 little girls that lay sleeping in the children's room. He'd sent Arashi to hunt for a specific type of boar and the young man had yet to return but Inuyasha could still sense him. He'd taken Shippo along with him and Inuyasha began to wonder if he could correct some of the problems they'd had with Shippo so that they didn't have to send him away. Though angry at the kit during the incidents, he hadn't wanted to send the little kit away. He loved him as he did any of his children. Sesshomaru was sitting at the low table staring at him, pouting like a child. Inuyasha caught his eye and smiled. "How are you like this…yet I'm called a sadistic bastard?" This caused Inuyasha to burst into laughter. Sesshomaru frowned a bit at his mates laughter.

There was loud obnoxious knocking at the door. Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the scent of the humans. His friends. When the door opened Kagome stormed in and looked around. "Where's Inuyasha!?" She said too loudly.

"Shut the fuck up, my kids are asleep." Inuyasha glared at the rude girl.

"We haven't seen him and assumed he might be here." Miroku said quietly, mindful of what Inuyasha had said.

Kagome frown, but folded her arms. "He could be hurt right now."

Inuyasha continued to cook, "Yeah he's hurt alright."

The group gasped, "What do you mean?"

"Don't worry, he liked every minute of it." He licked the spoon sensually, smirking and winking at them, causing the group to blush but he burst into laughter.

"You're so strange…how are you Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered in shock.

"Listen, everyone has to grow up at some point. What? did you expect me to remain the same for 100s of years, how unrealistic." Inuyasha scoffed. "I'm not some lost puppy looking for friends anymore."

"Inuyasha I've noticed this but, correct me if I'm wrong, it seems like you're so hostile towards us…why is that? I thought we were friends." Sango spoke up.

Inuyasha stopped stirring the food and paused looking straight ahead with his back to them. He didn't know if he should tell them. His younger self wasn't here so he didn't know what the older him had said to them all those years ago. He was conflicted. Would telling them change anything? How would it change? What if it remained the same? That would hurt even more. "I'm not going to talk about that."

Sesshomaru felt his mates' emotions but this was something for Inuyasha to work out on his own. He knew what the humans had done. How they betrayed him after he'd given them his trust, which was nearly impossible to get. "You're being so obscure, why can't you just tell us so we can fix it." Kagome asked quietly from where she stood. Inuyasha gripped the wooden spoon hard enough to shatter it, as if it was glass. He turned to face them, eyes red as rubies, the jagged markings of his youkai prominent on his face.

He laughed a bit, as they clearly became guarded. "And you said you can fix this? Huh? Interesting, I thought I was your friend? What happened to that?"

The door to the young girl's room opened and Sairiu and Kiki shuffled out. Sairiu looked up at the situation, noting her parents and all the humans. She went to her father while Kiki sleepily began to whine and cry for Inuyasha. The humans flinched when Inuyasha moved to pick her up. "Daddy has markings." Kiki stated quietly.

"I do, don't I?" Inuyasha asked the sleepy girl, his voice gravelly with his youki.

"Like papa." She commented, resting her head on his shoulder. "Pretty."

Inuyasha brought his youki back into himself, "Leave." He threw back at the humans. They left quickly, not understanding the message Inuyasha had basically given them.

"Mate." Inuyasha turned to Sesshomaru who was standing behind him now.

Inuyasha frowned, "I just don't understand why I can't stop caring…"

"It's okay, I'm here." Sesshomaru whispered as Inuyasha brought him into a slow kiss.

The group hustled to Kaede's hut, confused by the behavior of the older Inuyasha. They couldn't understand why he would be so hostile towards them and it didn't help that he was clearly not going to tell them. "Could it have something to do with him being a half demon?" Miroku contemplated. He'd always hoped to be friends with Inuyasha until he died of old age. While it hurt to know he would die and leave his friend behind at least he knew the hanyou could live happily. However, the monk noted the particular animosity towards Kagome, while it was true she'd basically enslaved him, it seemed to go further, deeper, as their Inuyasha wasn't showing that type of hostility towards her.

All of this made Miroku very nervous and he thought it best to talk to the older Inuyasha when he was alone. The three of them entered Kaede's hut, completely surprised to see the younger Inuyasha sleeping peacefully. "Inuy-!" Miroku cut Kagome off. "He seems tired." Miroku brought a finger to his lips, gesturing for them to be quiet. Kagome looked like she wanted to talk to him anyway, Inuyasha had been ignoring them ever since he came back with the older Sesshomaru. He wanted to talk to this Inuyasha too.

In the castle of the west, Sesshomaru had arrived in a flurry, barking orders every which way. He met with his advisers and informed them on what was happening without mentioning he was mated to his brother. They didn't need to know that part, they'd probably find out later. If he was really going through with this, he would do it properly. His stomach was tight with uncertainty, but he was no coward and would face his feelings head on. He sent a messenger to the village, while it wasn't a perfect invite, he merely asked Inuyasha to deliver his ward to the castle. Along with their older selves and their children, as it wasn't viable to have so many youki staying in the human village. "I can't believe myself right now." He said to himself, alone in his study. He walked to the family wing of the castle. He stopped in front of a door he'd only been in twice. It was Inuyasha's rooms. His father had built them himself but because of him, Inuyasha never had the opportunity to use them. He sighed and continued on to his own rooms, he missed his bed. Laying down, he started thinking about the older Inuyasha, wild, confident, and powerful. He really wanted Inuyasha to become that, to become a powerful lord like himself and their father.


	7. Chapter 7

Sesshomaru sat in the woods contemplating his future. His eyes closed as he listened to the sounds of Rin talking with Jaken as he reluctantly answered all of her strange questions. He could hear three sets of tiny feet approaching him quickly. Well, the third seemed to be struggling to keep up with the initial two.

"Hello princesses!" Rin greeted cheerfully.

"Hello!" The youngest greeted equally as cheerful, while Sairiu gave a more tame greeting and Sairin gave none at all. "Papa is sleeping?" Kiki questioned as the four young girls approached him.

"We should wake papa up." Sairin stated calmly.

"Little girls mi'lord is not-!" The lord heard the toad drop with a thud as he whimpered.

"He had a curse placed on him by the evil toad! We vanquished him!" Sairiu and Sairin said in unison.

"Yay! Vanq-wished!" Kiki answered back.

"We gotta wake little papa up okay?" Sairin stated. "How should we wake papa?"

"Princess kisses!" Kiki giggle happily. "Wake the pretty prince!"

"Okay let's do it!" Sairiu laughed happily as they crawled all over the younger Sesshomaru and began to place light kisses all over his face. He slowly opened his eyes to be greeted by the sight of their wide eyes and bright smiles. He felt the corner of his mouth twitch.

"Su-cess! The pretty prince woke up!" Kiki exclaimed. The older two seemed to be indulging the little girl in a game of make believe. Kiki hugged him around the neck, "Good morning pretty prince." Kiki placed her tiny hands on either side of the lords face before kissing the moon that adorned his forehead, "May the moon bless you eternally." The statement was choppy and a bit too difficult for her to say but she made it. It was a clans blessing, for warding away evil and bringing safety and happiness to the one being blessed.

The younger Inuyasha had seen the girls darting away and wondered what they were doing so he followed. He became very nervous when he realized they were going to where his time's Sesshomaru was sitting with his group. From what he understood, Sesshomaru had been intimate with his older self already. It made him uncomfortable to think about. When he arrived, he watched the little girls play their game and before he realized it, he was smiling. It was very cute, and he ended up snickering, giving away his location. Sesshomaru's head turn with such an urgency that would dictate that he hadn't sensed Inuyasha approaching. Meaning he was either losing his edge or his youkai felt comfortable with Inuyasha's presence while he was unaware.

"Hello Lord Inuyasha!" Rin greeted him.

"Hey little girl." He replied. It was odd to Inuyasha that Sesshomaru was only watching him. That same uncertainty in his eyes. Inuyasha jumped down. "I was following them." Inuyasha stated strangely uncomfortable with the man's gaze.

"Vanquish the dragon!" Sairin shouted as the three girls came over and began to attack him.

"Don't let the dragon take the pretty prince away! Protect the pretty prince!" Sairiu joined her.

Inuyasha was blocking their soft hits with a wide grin, "Why do I have to be a dragon and he gets to be a prince?"

"Because once we defeat you, the prince will break your curse and you will become a beautiful and powerful king!" Sairiu explained. Inuyasha wondered where the hell this story came from. Inuyasha's eyebrow raised at the absurd story but the girls looked like they were having a very good time with the game, so he played along and pretended to be vanquished. What he wasn't ready for was the feel of someone picking him up which caused his eyes to open very wide, as he was face to face with Sesshomaru who pressed his lips to his. The contact was forceful and demanding. Inuyasha felt his stomach knot up in shock. Sesshomaru invaded his mouth as Inuyasha's brain went into overdrive. In a flash, the youki was gone. Inuyasha was reeling, mind struggling to keep up. Sesshomaru had not just kissed him. Not the Sesshomaru from his time, there was no way in hell that had just happened.

Inuyasha was brought from his stupor by the cheering girls. "The powerful king! Now they'll live happily ever after!" Inuyasha looked back up at Sesshomaru but the youki had disappeared quicker than what his senses were ready for.

"Um…let's go back to the village." The girls didn't complain, and he took Rin as well. Reluctant to leave her on her own with the toad unconscious. Inuyasha could feel his face burn and his fingers found their way to his lips as he thought about the kiss. Did that really just happen? Sesshomaru had really done that.

Miles away, flying at speeds a bird youki could only dream of, Lord Sesshomaru darted towards his castle. His youkai fighting him for leaving so quickly, even more pissed at the single kiss he'd given Inuyasha. He couldn't believe his own lack of control. He hadn't even been reluctant to play along with the girl's game. On the contrary, he was quite delighted with the opportunity they'd given him. He barely even thought about it before it happened. His youkai was freaking out inside of him. Demanding he go back and continue with the hanyou. Sesshomaru could smell the scent of his approaching heat, though a while away, it was clear it'd be powerful, and he wanted him by his side. "I can't believe I want to mate my half-breed sibling." He thought about the unrestrained smile he saw on the hanyou's face as he watched the girls interacting with him. Aside from the older version, he'd never seen the hanyou smile a day in his life. He liked it, and couldn't believe he wanted to see it again. "I must be losing my sanity. He's a filthy half-breed cur, with no place...in….this…." Sesshomaru sighed, he couldn't even finish the sentence. He couldn't lie to himself as much as he would like to. He thought about his older self, and how easily the older Inuyasha laughed with him and smiled, like they were truly happy.

His older self seemed so tied to his younger brother. Sesshomaru was thinking about a lot now, and he couldn't convince himself it was a bad idea to mate him. For every scenario he came up with, an equally viable solution to the problem came up. He felt like a fool. "Why must it be him? Of all the people in this world." He questioned his youkai. He's perfect, strong, strong off-spring. Sesshomaru wanted to sleep.

()()()()()()()()()()

In the village, the older Inuyasha was smirking at his mate. "Aw, how cute." He stated, causing the older Sesshomaru to roll his eyes. Inuyasha nudged him with a smile before giving him a soft kiss, "A kiss for the pretty prince." Sesshomaru frowned a bit but accepted the kiss. The mated pair watched the younger Inuyasha walk from the forest as the little girls chattered away.

When he made eye contact with Sesshomaru his face turned a pretty shade of red causing the lord to smirk. "You're too cute."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes with a smile before standing and calling the girls into the hut. His younger self seemed a bit unnerved and he knew it didn't help to have the girls talking all at once. The older Sesshomaru remained where he sat, watching the younger Inuyasha. He seemed to have quite a bit on his mind, but the lord wanted to tease him. Inuyasha once again left the village, Sesshomaru noted that he went in the direction of the sacred tree. He knew why the hanyou continued to return there, he felt a deep connection to that tree, and it helped him feel grounded when things felt like they were falling apart.

Sesshomaru followed him closely making himself known. "Inuyasha are you okay."

Inuyasha had sat on some of the lower roots in front of the tree. "Yeah I'm fine." Inuyasha was looking away from him but he could see the blushing tips of his ears. Sesshomaru smiled. He wanted to pick on him, desperately. Sesshomaru sat next to him and pulled the smaller hanyou into his lap. Causing his eyes to widen in embarrassment. "What the fuck are you doing?" He exclaimed.

"What I usually do for my mate when he is upset about something." Sesshomaru stated calmly. Tucking Inuyasha's head under his chin and using his youki to sooth him. Inuyasha felt his youkai respond to the actions immediately. It'd wanted Sesshomaru to continue to kiss him and touch him but that Sesshomaru had practically faded into thin air. So now this Sesshomaru was doing exactly what it wanted. Inuyasha looked up at him, and the lord looked down with a loving smile. To this Sesshomaru, his mate was absolutely adorable at this age. He wanted to ravish him. He leaned down and kissed him, he could feel the hanyou's youkai mingling with his own as they kissed.

Sesshomaru had planned to tease him, but this was good too. He loved how submissive this Inuyasha was to him. More specifically, his youkai loved it. Sesshomaru broke their kiss and nipped at his throat, which Inuyasha exposed more of. The lord let his hands trail down to tease the sensitive body as the young hanyou warmed and his youkai started to swim in his mind. Caressing the bulge through his clothing Sesshomaru grinned. He could feel his own length hardening as he took in Inuyasha's aroused scent. He felt his own youkai rising a bit as he began to remove the hanyou's clothing. Soon the hanyou was naked in his lap as they kissed and grinded. He looked into the younger Inuyasha's youki filled eyes completely delighted. Releasing his own member, he held Inuyasha close as he coated himself in the sweet-smelling natural lube. "My Inuyasha, my mate…." He whispered as he finally began pushing into that wonderfully tight heat, but he was startled when he felt a hand come around and grasp his throat. He growled loudly startling the young hanyou back to some of his senses and looked up to see his older mate was there. Neither of them said anything, and the younger Inuyasha was caught in the older Sesshomaru's tight grasp as the mates stared at each other. "Mate…calm down." The older Inuyasha whispered.

Sesshomaru relaxed only slightly, his youkai had been startled while in such an intimate position and it was on edge. Sesshomaru let out a shuddering breath as he tried to force his youkai to calm down, knowing it was his mate that had his hand on his throat. His mate whom he trusted with his life. The older Inuyasha watched as his mate struggled against his panicking youkai. "It's okay mate. I'm sorry I startled you." He kissed Sesshomaru's lips, his hand tightening ever so slightly in a dominate display. He was turned on by what he was seeing and creating an Inuyasha Sesshomaru sandwich would be fun, but he couldn't have his younger self going into heat because of his mate. He needed Sesshomaru to suppress his youkai. "Bury your youkai mate." He said softly to the youki, his hand tightening again. There was nothing Sesshomaru could do to fight the dominance in the position he was in. He and his youkai had no choice but to submit to Inuyasha. "Good boy…" Inuyasha practically purred as he felt Sesshomaru's youkai finally recede within his being. "Your youkai was spurring mine-his on and it would have sent him….me into heat, and that wouldn't be good mate." Inuyasha kissed Sesshomaru, never removing his hand from his throat. Sesshomaru was still buried deep within the younger Inuyasha and rocked his hips slightly with Inuyasha's dominance, causing the younger, still a bit dazed with his youkai, to moan.

The older Inuyasha smiled as he saw the lights click on in Sesshomaru's mind about the position they were in. "My mate…there are a lot of reasons I didn't tell you anything about what happened between us. That's what makes this fun." Sesshomaru was given a sadistic smile from his mate, one that made even him a bit nervous. Inuyasha licked his neck, sucking and leaving hickey's wherever his lips touched. He went to all the sensitive spots Sesshomaru liked causing the lord's cock to twitch. He started thrusting slowly into the younger Inuyasha who moaned deeply in the lord's ear spurring him on. The older Inuyasha began tearing at the inuyouki's clothing, exposing his chiseled body to the forest air. Releasing his throat, Inuyasha pushed Sesshomaru and his younger self over, Sesshomaru catching them. Inuyasha began kissing his back, paying special attention to his markings as he continued to fuck his younger self. Inuyasha wouldn't say he was a pervert, only when Sesshomaru was involved. Who wouldn't be when their mate was as beautiful as his? As Sesshomaru's thrusts increased in intensity, the younger Inuyasha's moans grew louder. Sesshomaru himself was struggling, he knew his mate tended to develop particular tastes in the bedroom, but he had not been expecting this.

He paused when he felt Inuyasha reach his entrance. The younger Inuyasha looked up at him in confusion as he watched the lord face be adorned with a blush. The older Inuyasha spread him embarrassingly, taking his sweet time, dragging it out. He started with a languid lick, preforming all types of sinful moves with his tongue. Moves that Sesshomaru would be too embarrassed to describe. The young Inuyasha had a full view of Sesshomaru's face and never thought he'd ever see those types of expressions on his face. A resounding slap was heard and Sesshomaru jerked a bit, "Don't keep me waiting, keep moving those hips." His younger self could hear the grin on Inuyasha's face as Sesshomaru bit his lip and continued to thrust. It was hard to think with so much pressure on his prostate and the feel of his cock rubbing in between them. The older Inuyasha was enjoying himself, this was probably the only time he'd ever be able to do this and he was gonna enjoy it. Adultery was an impossibility within youki matings and while a threesome would be consensual, their youkai wouldn't allow a third, and he felt like Sesshomaru would throw a fit if he even brought it up. Even if the lord didn't believe it, Sesshomaru was quite sensitive about his position in their mating and always had a sliver of doubt about Inuyasha's feelings for him. Inuyasha knew the youki was just THAT in love with him, and he loved him just as much, though he didn't know if he could ever express that to him enough.

Soon the older Inuyasha was lining himself up and pressing into his mate. This got a loud groan from him as he clenched around Inuyasha's length. "Oh, fuck mate, you feel so fucking good." Soon enough, Sesshomaru was blanking as their thrusting synced up. Sesshomaru's moans were loud and unrestrained, thrusting into the younger cute version of his mate while the older thrust deep into him had him turned on like never before.

The younger leaned up and licked his mating mark just before the older ran his hand through Sesshomaru's hair before pulling back roughly as he increased his pace, causing the lord to do the same. "Fuck mate…" Sesshomaru swore as he tried his best to hold on. He was confused and didn't know what to do, had this happened when he flew to his castle in the past? Inuyasha showed no sign of his memory being adjusted. Was it alright for him to enjoy this? The younger Inuyasha moaned loudly as his body began to lock up as he came, Sesshomaru's breathing became heavier at the pressure on his cock as his mate continued to thrust and hit all of his sweet spots. Sesshomaru felt a pressure on his back, Inuyasha wanted him lower, he went down on his elbows, still thrusting into the sensitive body of the younger Inuyasha. He hadn't realized how close his face had gotten to the younger's, who's eyes were open and watching him. For some reason he started to feel even more embarrassed at the intense gaze. The younger Inuyasha was getting hard again as he began to attack Sesshomaru's chest, his eyes still tinted with youki. The older Inuyasha leaned over him, "Enjoying yourself mate?" Sesshomaru felt the knot, tightly coiled in his stomach tighten a bit more. He was going to cum. From watching the older, the younger Inuyasha paid special attention to Sesshomaru's markings, stopping only as he began to reach his end once again.

Sesshomaru felt it begin deep within him as his hips came out of sync. It felt so good, better than anything he'd ever felt before. "AH! Ye-AH! Mate! Mate!" Sesshomaru wasn't a loud lover, so when Inuyasha got him like this it was an extraordinary accomplishment. Inuyasha covered Sesshomaru's mouth and bit into his mating mark as he too came deep within his mate with a shudder, his hips thrusting every ounce of cum from him. Sesshomaru's eyes rolled back as he attempted to mark the being beneath him after being marked. His body thrusting and jerking as he came. Both of the Inuyasha's could feel the lords body shudder deeply as he was simultaneously emptied and filled. Grabbing his mate before he crushed his younger self, he pulled his sensitive member from him, pulling the passed-out alpha into his lap. The younger Inuyasha lay panting on the ground, as cum leaked from both his cock and his ass. "Hmm mate, maybe you enjoyed that a little too much, huh?" Inuyasha smirked at his blissed-out mate. "Hey little me, let's go to the river to clean up." The younger blushed as he finally was able to gather his senses. His face burned a bright red and he couldn't believe himself. He really wanted to be with his brother, all of this over a little kiss.

Picking his mate up they headed downstream from the village. In the shallow water, the older Inuyasha worked on cleaning his mate up before cleaning himself. His younger self seemed very self-conscious and seemed to be struggling with the amount of cum inside of him. Inuyasha smirked, leaning Sesshomaru comfortably in the water. He grabbed himself and pulled him close. "This is going to be very embarrassing and uncomfortable." He warned before pinning his arms and spreading his used hole to allow Sesshomaru's cum to leak out.

"Stop! Stop! I said…stop!" The younger struggled against his own strength. He growled and snapped at himself with his teeth. He was released and pushed down quickly when there was less coming out and he yelped from the pain of being pushed onto his abused asshole.

"If you don't clean properly, you won't feel very good." Inuyasha winked at him and gathered his mate, leaving his younger self staring at him in disbelief. Going back to the sacred tree, he was happy to see that Sesshomaru's clothing had repaired itself. Dressing them both, he nipped at his mate's face, licking his cheek and biting a bit. "Mate wake up." Soon enough Sesshomaru was blinking his eyes open.

"What…did I?"

Inuyasha wore a cheeky smile and said nothing. He only laughed and groped his mate before heading towards the village. There alone in the forest, Sesshomaru stood and blushed to himself. He was very embarrassed; he'd never passed out during sex. He felt like an adolescent learning what sex is. He felt even more embarrassed when he realized just how long his mate had known about this.

()()()()()()()()()()

Inuyasha was very upset with…himself. The older him was embarrassing and he felt very violated. He stayed in the water to gather his thoughts. "Why am I like that? He's such an asshole…" He muttered to himself. He closed his eyes and tried to meditate a bit. His youkai wasn't raging at him anymore, but he was feeling a bit needy. Standing, he ran to his clothing and dressed quickly. He wanted to be around people for a bit. Stepping into Kaede's hut he was pleased to see none other than the old woman there. He said nothing and laid down on the ground content with listening to her do what she needed to. Soon he felt a hand caress his ears and a brush begin to work through his still damp hair. "How are you feeling Inuyasha."

Inuyasha thought about whether or not he wanted to answer her truthfully, but it felt good to know she cared enough to ask, so he was truthful. "Needy." He replied gruffly.

"Aye, that's to be expected with your maturity period." She said calmly. Her voice was familiar and very soothing to his ears and he found himself dozing off. He hadn't been sleeping properly lately.

Kaede continued to brush his hair with a soft smile, helping him lay down and giving him a cushion for his head. She began to cook a hearty stew for the young man, knowing his youkai was using quite a bit of energy to grow and mature.

In Inuyasha's hut, Inuyasha was cooking for the 4 little girls that lay sleeping in the children's room. He'd sent Arashi to hunt for a specific type of boar and the young man had yet to return but Inuyasha could still sense him. He'd taken Shippo along with him and Inuyasha began to wonder if he could correct some of the problems they'd had with Shippo so that they didn't have to send him away. Though angry at the kit during the incidents, he hadn't wanted to send the little kit away. He loved him as he did any of his children. Sesshomaru was sitting at the low table staring at him, pouting like a child. Inuyasha caught his eye and smiled. "How are you like this…yet I'm called a sadistic bastard?" This caused Inuyasha to burst into laughter. Sesshomaru frowned a bit at his mates laughter.

There was loud obnoxious knocking at the door. Inuyasha rolled his eyes at the scent of the humans. His friends. When the door opened Kagome stormed in and looked around. "Where's Inuyasha!?" She said too loudly.

"Shut the fuck up, my kids are asleep." Inuyasha glared at the rude girl.

"We haven't seen him and assumed he might be here." Miroku said quietly, mindful of what Inuyasha had said.

Kagome frown, but folded her arms. "He could be hurt right now."

Inuyasha continued to cook, "Yeah he's hurt alright."

The group gasped, "What do you mean?"

"Don't worry, he liked every minute of it." He licked the spoon sensually, smirking and winking at them, causing the group to blush but he burst into laughter.

"You're so strange…how are you Inuyasha?" Kagome whispered in shock.

"Listen, everyone has to grow up at some point. What? did you expect me to remain the same for 100s of years, how unrealistic." Inuyasha scoffed. "I'm not some lost puppy looking for friends anymore."

"Inuyasha I've noticed this but, correct me if I'm wrong, it seems like you're so hostile towards us…why is that? I thought we were friends." Sango spoke up.

Inuyasha stopped stirring the food and paused looking straight ahead with his back to them. He didn't know if he should tell them. His younger self wasn't here so he didn't know what the older him had said to them all those years ago. He was conflicted. Would telling them change anything? How would it change? What if it remained the same? That would hurt even more. "I'm not going to talk about that."

Sesshomaru felt his mates' emotions but this was something for Inuyasha to work out on his own. He knew what the humans had done. How they betrayed him after he'd given them his trust, which was nearly impossible to get. "You're being so obscure, why can't you just tell us so we can fix it." Kagome asked quietly from where she stood. Inuyasha gripped the wooden spoon hard enough to shatter it, as if it was glass. He turned to face them, eyes red as rubies, the jagged markings of his youkai prominent on his face.

He laughed a bit, as they clearly became guarded. "And you said you can fix this? Huh? Interesting, I thought I was your friend? What happened to that?"

The door to the young girl's room opened and Sairiu and Kiki shuffled out. Sairiu looked up at the situation, noting her parents and all the humans. She went to her father while Kiki sleepily began to whine and cry for Inuyasha. The humans flinched when Inuyasha moved to pick her up. "Daddy has markings." Kiki stated quietly.

"I do, don't I?" Inuyasha asked the sleepy girl, his voice gravelly with his youki.

"Like papa." She commented, resting her head on his shoulder. "Pretty."

Inuyasha brought his youki back into himself, "Leave." He threw back at the humans. They left quickly, not understanding the message Inuyasha had basically given them.

"Mate." Inuyasha turned to Sesshomaru who was standing behind him now.

Inuyasha frowned, "I just don't understand why I can't stop caring…"

"It's okay, I'm here." Sesshomaru whispered as Inuyasha brought him into a slow kiss.

The group hustled to Kaede's hut, confused by the behavior of the older Inuyasha. They couldn't understand why he would be so hostile towards them and it didn't help that he was clearly not going to tell them. "Could it have something to do with him being a half demon?" Miroku contemplated. He'd always hoped to be friends with Inuyasha until he died of old age. While it hurt to know he would die and leave his friend behind at least he knew the hanyou could live happily. However, the monk noted the particular animosity towards Kagome, while it was true she'd basically enslaved him, it seemed to go further, deeper, as their Inuyasha wasn't showing that type of hostility towards her.

All of this made Miroku very nervous and he thought it best to talk to the older Inuyasha when he was alone. The three of them entered Kaede's hut, completely surprised to see the younger Inuyasha sleeping peacefully. "Inuy-!" Miroku cut Kagome off. "He seems tired." Miroku brought a finger to his lips, gesturing for them to be quiet. Kagome looked like she wanted to talk to him anyway, Inuyasha had been ignoring them ever since he came back with the older Sesshomaru. He wanted to talk to this Inuyasha too.

In the castle of the west, Sesshomaru had arrived in a flurry, barking orders every which way. He met with his advisers and informed them on what was happening without mentioning he was mated to his brother. They didn't need to know that part, they'd probably find out later. If he was really going through with this, he would do it properly. His stomach was tight with uncertainty, but he was no coward and would face his feelings head on. He sent a messenger to the village, while it wasn't a perfect invite, he merely asked Inuyasha to deliver his ward to the castle. Along with their older selves and their children, as it wasn't viable to have so many youki staying in the human village. "I can't believe myself right now." He said to himself, alone in his study. He walked to the family wing of the castle. He stopped in front of a door he'd only been in twice. It was Inuyasha's rooms. His father had built them himself but because of him, Inuyasha never had the opportunity to use them. He sighed and continued on to his own rooms, he missed his bed. Laying down, he started thinking about the older Inuyasha, wild, confident, and powerful. He really wanted Inuyasha to become that, to become a powerful lord like himself and their father.


	8. Chapter 8

Inuyasha woke for food but was surprised when no one began questioning him immediately, even Kagome was quiet. They talked about trivial things while he sat around and listened. It was really odd for him, to say the least. When they finished eating, the group started settling for bed. Inuyasha was unsure if he was going to sleep in the same hut as them but that's what he ended up doing. In the morning, they were all waken by a youki approaching quickly. They all hopped up, ready for a fight as they exited the hut quickly. The being stopped several yards away from them. "I'm here to deliver a message to Lord Inuyasha!" The youki merely stared at the baffled group.

"That's me…." Inuyasha scowled a bit. The youki walked over and handed him a letter with a royal seal.

"I'll be on my way." The youki said before darting off.

"What does it say Inuyasha?" Miroku asked curiously.

Inuyasha broke the seal and opened it, "AM I A FUCKING ERRAND BOY?" Inuyasha couldn't believe Sesshomaru, he really thought I was going to do as he asked for nothing in return? As a fucking favor? "He's a fucking asshole! I can't fucking stand him!" Inuyasha handed the letter to Miroku, "He wants me to go all the way to the Western castle, which is more than a weeks' worth of travel, with a child and our older selves AND their kids. Why didn't he just send this to them? I don't see why I would have to go along. They can just take Rin with them, they're powerful enough."

Elsewhere, in a nicely built hut, the older Inuyasha was cracking up while his mate buried his face in his fur. "Do you have to laugh so hard?"

"I'm just thinking about all the fun courting you're going to do, that I get to see again." Inuyasha replied through his laughter.

The young Inuyasha, annoyed, came to the hut and knocked. Sesshomaru opened it and Inuyasha became nervous. He could admit that he liked the older Sesshomaru. He was kind, gentle, not all holier than thou, at least with him. However, he felt like it'd be easier to talk to himself, "Can I talk to the other me?" Sesshomaru nodded and let the hanyou in. Inuyasha was feeding Kiki while the rest of the kids ate on their own. Shippo and Rin made six kids they were currently caring for. "Sesshomaru wants you all to go to the western castle."

"Oh yeah? We were planning on it." Inuyasha nodded with a smile.

"Well okay, take Rin with you." Inuyasha added and turned to leave.

"No no no, little me. You've got something a little messed up. I'm not doing what Sesshomaru asked you to do."

"You're going there anyway, what's one more kid?" Inuyasha grumbled back.

The older Inuyasha merely stared at him, "Go read the letter again and think about it. He sent you a letter."

The younger Inuyasha glared at his older self and left the hut. He planned to go to the sacred tree, but he couldn't be there without thinking of the previous day. So, he went to the well. He sat at it's base and read the stupid letter again. It just seemed like Sesshomaru being a lordly asshole. Inuyasha sighed, he didn't understand what he was supposed to be looking for, Sesshomaru had never sent him a letter before it was odd. That's when it clicked for him. Sesshomaru had never sent him a letter. What did that mean? Inuyasha frowned and thought some more. "Sesshomaru knows they're strong enough to bring Rin to him…so why does he want me to take her…" All of his thoughts were leading to just one possibility, Sesshomaru wanted him to come to the castle. Inuyasha's head began to hurt. He thought about the kiss from before then about the older Sesshomaru's words, about it being up to him to chose if they would pursue the future shown to him. He even thought about how the older had said he wanted him, even now, though he couldn't understand how or why. How can you go from hating someone's guts to wanting to mate them? While he would be fine with the older Sesshomaru, he still held quite a bit of animosity towards the younger. They felt and acted like different people, so it was easy to treat them as such.

Inuyasha sighed heavily, if Sesshomaru wanted him to come to the castle, why not just be straight forward and simply ask. Did the younger Sesshomaru like me? Is that why he kissed me? Inuyasha kept thinking about his situation. Should I go? He started thinking about the older versions of themselves, they seemed pretty happy with each other. The older Sesshomaru is who the current Sesshomaru would grow to be, they'd have such a nice family as well. It was appealing, but he still didn't know how he should feel about his Sesshomaru. Deep down he hated the youki. Hated him for everything he'd ever done to him, after all, Sesshomaru was the reason his life was so hard, why he starved regularly as a child, and nearly ended up a meal most of the time. However, his youkai wanted him and that's where he was conflicted. He was unused to dealing with his youkai's desires. His youkai started getting upset with him, demanding that he go to the ancestral lands, so Inuyasha started ignoring it, until he literally couldn't hear anyone speak because of how loud it was shouting at him. "FINE! I'LL FUCKING GO!" He shouted, getting a few stares.

()()()()()()()()()()

A few days later and everyone was preparing to head out. Inuyasha didn't understand why his friends had invited themselves, especially Kagome. This was a youki fortress, there would be no humans present. "I don't want a week's journey to take a month with all the stopping I'd have to do for you." He stated when he realized he could complain freely now.

"Are you saying you don't want us to go?" Kagome asked incredulous.

"Yea, actually, I'd really rather you didn't." Inuyasha commented, the group was taken aback. "I don't have time to protect you all."

"We understand Inuyasha, however we don't want you to go alone, we'd feel more comfortable if we're all together." Miroku said. "We'll keep up, if there are any complaints we'll turn back immediately. How's that for a compromise?" The monk suggested, knowing who most of the complaints would be coming from because of her weak constitution.

"Fine. Also, I'm not carrying you Kagome. At all. Pull your weight." Inuyasha added before he began walking. The group was rather large with twelve people, while there was safety in numbers the shear amount of people that needed to be protected put him on edge, however for miles he couldn't even sense a youki.

"You can relax Inuyasha, no youki will approach while I'm here." Sesshomaru stated calmly. "You're also too powerful for them to dream of approaching." He said while looking at the older Inuyasha as he carried Kiki whose legs were tired. They continued to walk all day and into the night. The younger Inuyasha was carrying Rin, while the older was holding Kiki and Sairin, and Sesshomaru was holding Sairiu. It was nearly midnight when they finally decided to stop.

"We're making good time." Sesshomaru stated, they were already passed where they'd be if they'd taken regular breaks. He had thought about flying everyone on his ki cloud, but that was before all the humans decided to tag along. They were so irrelevant for him that he completely forgot they'd been in the castle. The only thing he really remembered about them is what caused Inuyasha to kill the schoolgirl, and why Inuyasha has such animosity towards them.

Everyone settled down to sleep, and soon enough they were repeating. Only resting at night. On the 4th day of travel, Sesshomaru smelled something incredible. A plant that he loved to eat, that had gone extinct 500 years ago in their time. He wanted seeds but he also wanted his children to try the fruit it produced. They were nicknamed the canine cantaloupe because of how popular it was among canine species. "Arashi. I have a task for you."

The young prince looked as if he wanted to huff, his father's little missions for him were always ridiculously difficult compared to his dad's. "Yes Father."

"Sairiu, Sairin you too." The two little girls perked up. "There is a plant, for Sairiu and Sairin I want you to gather 30 seeds and 2 fruit each. For Arashi you should gather thrice as much." Sesshomaru went on to describe the smell of the plant and what it and the fruit looked like.

Inuyasha thought it was funny how intense Sesshomaru seemed about the fruit, but the kids looked extremely bored at the seemingly simple gathering task. "How's about this. The first to finish can ask us for one thing, and we'll get it for them, no matter what it is." Sesshomaru didn't argue with him about the prize, he wanted those fruit and seeds that badly. In the past, they'd tried to save them but an attack on the castle made their efforts useless.

Arashi darted off quickly, leaving his sisters behind. The twins went off in separate directions as they began to search. "Think they'll find it?" Inuyasha asked his mate.

"I believe Sairiu will do the best in this task." Sesshomaru replied.

The younger Inuyasha and the humans continued to walk with them. The young Inuyasha could still sense the kids nearby, though Arashi was much farther than the twins had gone. He could also sense a youki beast close to Sairin. He said nothing about it as he was sure the other two sensed it as well, and they didn't seem to be concerned. Though after about an hour or so, Arashi came peeling through the forest, covered in dirt, panting wildly, with a huge grin on his face. "DONE!" The group stopped and Arashi approached his parents to present his findings. He was carrying two makeshift baskets, made from reeds he found at the river. Sesshomaru checked what he'd brought and smirked at the efficiency of his heir.

"Why are you so dirty?" Inuyasha asked, looking quite amused.

"I don't know how to make digging tools and I didn't want to mess the fruit up my digging in my true form. So, I did it like this." He explained gesturing to all the grit and grim covering him.

"Well you've finished first." Sesshomaru said as he took a look at the fruit he'd been craving for 100s of years.

"YES!" Arashi threw his hands up in joy. Sesshomaru whistled loudly. The girls were much farther away from them than when they first began, and it would take them a bit to catch up with them once more.

"What is that that they collected?" Miroku asked, having never seen the strange fruit.

Sesshomaru broke the fruit in half, giving one to Kiki to eat and the other to Inuyasha. The older Inuyasha rolled his eyes but ate what was given to him. Sesshomaru did the same to another and gave them to Shippo and Arashi. "Something delicious."

"What about my reward!?" Arashi exclaimed.

"What do you want?" Inuyasha asked as Sairiu joined them from the forest, she too was holding a makeshift basket but the difference being the wooden trough in her hands and how neat and clean she remained. She frowned and gave her basket to her father before crossing her arms. She'd been very close to being done, only missing the seeds from one of the fruits.

"No training for 2 months." Arashi stated seriously.

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru shared a look. "Arashimaru, that is a ridiculous request." Sesshomaru stated, not expecting his heir to ask for such a thing.

"Ever since I was born all I do is train even games are training. I just want to do nothing for a while. I want to try new stuff and I honestly hate training." Arashi frowned deeply.

"Arashi, your training is too important to neglect. You are in a very delicate period of development and you could become stunted in your growth." Sesshomaru explained.

"But its not like we live here. The future is different. It's not like I'm fighting against wild animals and super villains every day like you had to." Arashi argued back, becoming visibly agitated as it seemed his father was heading towards a no, even though the incentive stated it could be anything.

"I do not wish for you to be harmed Arashi. There are many things that can happen if you are lax in your training. I understand that it may be difficult, but it is necessary." Sesshomaru continued giving Inuyasha a look. "Your request puts you in danger, you have to choose something else."

The young heir bit his lip, "That's not fair. Sairin and Sairiu don't even have to train like I did. That's ALL I DID! Ever since I was little, all I did was train, and all I'm asking for is a break." Arashi was becoming more and more upset with his father. The older Inuyasha could see that having a break meant more to their son than what he was saying. Usually, Arashi wasn't one to rebel or cause trouble. He'd been wondering when something like this would happen, their son always seemed too compliant to him, considering who his parents were.

"I never get to do what I want. I always do what I'm told, and I never argue no matter how much my body hurts or how tired I am. Why can't I get a short break after 136 years of training. I just want to be able to lay in bed and do nothing. I want to watch TV shows like everyone else. I want to go to real school! I want to be able to make friends my own age instead of having people look at me like I'm this untouchable and unapproachable being, and I'm tired of pretending to care about what all those noble jackasses have to say! I just want to be a normal kid for 60 days of my long life."

"You are the crowned prince. You cannot be normal; you are far from that. You have a duty to your people and your land." Sesshomaru felt like he needed to take a deep breath. He was trying to listen to what his son was saying and find some common ground with him, but it was difficult when he was so riled up.

"YOU DON'T EVEN TRAIN EVERY DAY! NEITHER DOES DAD! AND SAISAI DOESN'T EITHER, SO WHY DO I HAVE TO?" Arashi shouted, his emotions getting the better of him. He felt like his father just didn't care about what he had to say most of the time, so he didn't bother. He always said things like, "You'll understand when you're older." Or "It'll benefit you in the future." He wanted to cry.

Sesshomaru let out a soft breath through his clenched teeth. His son was young and inexperienced. Young and inexperienced. He kept reminding himself. "Sesshomaru." Inuyasha spoke before he could. "Arashi-shi come on, let's take a walk." Inuyasha could feel how agitated his mate was becoming. Technically, the things their son did was nothing compared to how Sesshomaru was trained. By comparison, it was very easy going though time consuming. He himself wasn't home very often but knew his schedule and it didn't leave very much room for personal time. He also didn't know his son wanted to attend a real school. His mate had never said anything to him about it. He looked around at the humans who were trying not to be noticed in the awkward family issue. His younger self looked on in interest. "Little me, Sairin is taking too long, can you go check on her?" She had stopped moving and he was worried, there was a large youki walking around, though she should be able to handle it herself.

Arashi stomped his way into the forest and Inuyasha followed. Before he scooped his angry son up and darted away as quickly as he could, out of his mate's earshot.

()()()()()()()()()()

As Inuyasha did as the older requested, he couldn't help remembering the expression on the older Sesshomaru's face. He seemed like he was having a hard time with his son, though they seemed really close to him before. When the hanyou finally found the little girl, he could see her up in a tree, on a low branch, looking down at the creature with a bored look on her face. It was a low level youki beast that was circling the tree she was in, not having the intelligence that would tell it to look skyward for the meal it was searching for. Inuyasha remained silent and watched as the little girl stared at it.

"This is boring." She whispered before flicking her wrist and decapitating the beast. "I thought it would do something special like sensei said."

"Hey, what's taking you so long." Inuyasha asked.

"Oh hi little daddy. It was a Kagakemono. It's what we're studying with Miyami-sensei right now." She explained. "They're endangered where we're from. But if I didn't kill it, I wouldn't be able to get away from it because I can't fly very good and it can climb trees." She rattled off as she climbed down to examine it further.

"Well come on, everyone's waiting." Inuyasha jumped to the ground as well. Sairin skipped over and climbed onto his back with a cheerful smile.

Elsewhere, an older Inuyasha sat in a large sturdy tree with his teenage pup in his lap. His son looked very unhappy, "Hey pup, tell me what's wrong."

"I'm just tired Dad." Arashi sounded like he would burst into tears at any moment.

Inuyasha pulled him into a hug, "Yeah? Are you sure there's not anything else going on?"

"I…I don't want to be the crown prince…" He sniffled.

Inuyasha nodded his understanding, "That's a lot of pressure, right? It's been difficult for you huh?" Inuyasha knew it wasn't just their past getting to him, he knew that was a part of it and that it probably exacerbated the issue that they were going to have to deal with in the future. "It's okay shishi, I understand." His son broke down then, crying sorrowfully about how he didn't want Sesshomaru to hate him or be disappointed in him. "Your papa won't hate you or be disappointed in you. Everything he does, he does with your best interest at heart, even though it may seem like he doesn't care. We'll all sit down and have a nice conversation about it okay? Cause you know, I'm sure the last thing your papa wants is for you to be unhappy. He loves you a lot Arashi. More than you could ever understand."

"He has a funny way of showing it." This caused Inuyasha to chuckle a bit. All he could think about was his mate holding a newborn Arashi, just staring at him before frowning. That day Sesshomaru looked at him and said, "I didn't think I could love someone else as much as I love you." Inuyasha looked at the young man their son had become. He had a long way to go but Inuyasha was sure the young pup got both of his and Sesshomaru's best traits.

Back on the path to the western castle, Sesshomaru decided to stop the group for the night, though there was still daylight. He didn't know how long his mate and son would be gone for, but he didn't want them to have to travel too much to reach them. Sairin and Inuyasha joined the larger group soon, with Sairin squealing in delight as he jumped through the trees with her on his back. "Me too! Me too!" Kiki requested, running up to him.

"Hey, I'm not a toy." Inuyasha stated as he set Sairin down, getting a good look at how wild her hair looked with a chuckle.

She ran to her father, "Papa! Papa! How high can you jump?"

"I'm not sure. Quite high I would imagine." He answered her giddy question.

"Hold me! Hold me and jump please papa!" She requested with a large smile that was all Inuyasha, her wild hair doing nothing to help in that regard. Sesshomaru raised a brow but did as she asked because of how excited she seemed. Lifting her up, he took one step and jumped as high as he could, leaving a large crater in the Earth. His daughter's happy screaming took his mind off the argument with his son. It helped him clear his head. As they began falling, Sairin's screaming laughter became louder. Using his youki, he landed softly and set his daughter down, and she stumbled a bit with her wild hair. Sairiu and Kiki ran to him, stretching their arms up, so he did the same for them. Up in the sky they could see the vast expansion of greenery ahead of them, it was beautiful and Sesshomaru missed sights like this. He would have to start an initiative for his country to replenish the greenery and wildlife that had been lost.

He landed with the girls and Rin ran to him next, "Oh please Lord Sesshomaru. It looks so fun!" Saying nothing he gave the small human and Shippo a turn as well. Though he jumped a lot lighter than he did with the girls for her safety. By the time Inuyasha and Arashi rejoined the group, everyone had settled down for the night. Arashi said nothing and didn't even look at his father, he simply found a tree that he could tolerate sleeping in and sulked.

Inuyasha said nothing to anyone and joined his mate where he sat with their sleeping children. Rin was also with him and curled up with Kiki in his massive fur. Shifting the children around, he leaned against his mate a dozed off a bit, though he woke to the sensation of shifting. Arashi moved his sister more into Inuyasha's lap so he could lean on him and be closer to his family. Inuyasha wrapped an arm around him and they nodded off again.


	9. Chapter 9

The days were passing slowly for Kagome. Her legs hurt and whenever they finally stopped for the night it was only a few quick seconds before sleep claimed her. She felt like she was the only one suffering right now. Even the small children were doing better than she was. "Little daddy! What's your favorite food?" She heard Sairiu ask from atop the hanyou's shoulders. She was playing with his flicking ears and chatting with the hanyou.

"I like salted grilled fish." He answered.

"Wow so it's still the same even here!?" Her twin who was walking beside them exclaimed. They'd taken to trying to get to know their dad when he was closer to their age.

"Creature of habit." Sesshomaru hummed from in front of the group.

Kagome tried to ignore her aching feet. Wishing that she'd brought hiking shoes. She looked over at Arashi, their son. He still wasn't speaking to Sesshomaru and was lagging behind with a frown on his face. Sesshomaru had tried to engage with him but he simply walked off into the woods and didn't rejoin them for a few hours. "Are you okay?" She ended up asking. He looked so much like Inuyasha when he pouted that it slipped out.

He didn't say anything and only looked at her at first. The rest of the group became quiet as they listened in. "Mind your business." He glared. He didn't want some random human talking to him. Is it cool that they were traveling with his dad when he was younger? Yes, very much so, but he was clearly in a bad mood so what made her think he wanted to talk about it. He wanted to be left the hell alone.

"Ugh…you're just like Inuyasha." She crossed her arms.

"And you're an annoying bitch." Arashi threw back. He didn't feel like being compared to his dad right now on top of everything.

"Taisho Arashimaru. I will not warn you about your mouth." Sesshomaru said coldly then turned to glare at the older Inuyasha.

"Whatever…" He huffed. The older Inuyasha was the furthest back in the group. His youngest daughter in his arms sleeping. He sighed knowing he'd be placed in the middle so long as the two weren't on good terms.

The group walked in silence for a time because of the tense atmosphere. "We'll stop a little early today, there is a lake nearby that would be a good stop." Soon enough, they were at the clearing to the lake. Sesshomaru sat under a tree overlooking the water and the humans set up camp. The older Inuyasha stood in front of the water and began to strip, catching Sesshomaru's attention. The older Inuyasha was taller, more built and had a body anyone would be envious of. In a word, he was attractive. What he hadn't been expecting was the well-placed kick that landed him a few paces in the cold water. Sputtering and coming up for air quickly, he was greeted by his mate's sadistic grin. "The start to my payback." Sesshomaru smirked, before going back to where he was sitting.

"You're literally the worst." Inuyasha growled.

"I know." Sesshomaru's smile softened as Inuyasha turned from him and started swimming around, diving to catch fish.

Kagome plopped down when they finished setting up camp. "My legs are burning." She took off her socks and shoes and went to the lake to cool them.

"Little daddy, little daddy! How old are you?" Sairin asked curiously.

"I don't really know." Inuyasha answered a bit sullenly. He had no way of keeping track, and it was definitely Sesshomaru's fault. They began to complain about him not knowing, but his older self was already on land again making a makeshift net from the fibers of plants. "He's 213…technically…Physically really, 163."

The girls nodded in understanding, "So not that much older than Arashi-shi!"

"Yep, that's true. I'm just a young little puppy here. So, we gotta keep him safe alright." The older Inuyasha continued.

"I'll protect little daddy!" Sairin announced with certainty.

The elder Inuyasha chuckled, "Yeah cause big bad dog's like to rob the cradle, so we have to stand guard." He felt his mate's anger almost immediately.

"Protect from the big bad dog!" The girls announced happily, completely oblivious to him teasing their father. The younger Inuyasha blushed, completely certain that this was how he planned on teasing the older Sesshomaru. However, the joke was only lost on the children, and he felt embarrassed.

Inuyasha met his mates glare with a grin. He took his rope back towards the lake, thinking of how he could fuck with him some more. He truly loved the reactions he got from Sesshomaru the most. It was always hilarious no matter how long they'd been together. He smirked when the perfect idea came to him. "Hey Sesshomaru, come help me please! I wanna catch enough for everyone." He knew his mate wouldn't be able to resist bothering him in the water and he wanted to scare the man. It'd been so long since he'd pulled a prank like what he was going to do. He couldn't do it too often, and the last time had been before Kiki was born.

Sesshomaru could feel how mischievous his mate was being and knew he was going to pull something when he got close to the water, so he stripped down where he stood before striding over. He could feel the human's eyes on him, and he nearly growled in annoyance. Standing in front of his mate they jumped in. There was playful splashing as they maneuvered with the net slowly, so they didn't frighten off the fish as they placed it. It was finally placed and Sesshomaru swam closer to his mate, kissing him gently, getting him to lower his guard before dunking him quickly. Inuyasha kicked, and came up sputtering. "You're such an asshole!" He coughed as he'd taken in some water. "The net's around my foot, give me a second." Inuyasha dove down, realizing this was the perfect opportunity for his plan. He untangled the net from his foot before he took off in a random direction as quickly as he could, taking the net with him. His only obstacle was his connection with Sesshomaru, so he thought of things that frightened him. Thoughts that terrified him, the things he'd like to keep buried forever. Yes, he knew this was a very mean thing to do to his mate, but he just couldn't help himself sometimes.

Back at where the group settled, Sesshomaru was getting a bit nervous. It shouldn't take him so long to free himself, then he felt it. Inuyasha's fear and horror. He felt his youkai immediately come at him demanding they help their pregnant mate. Inuyasha could have been dragged off by a youkai in the water but he couldn't even sense him. "Inuyasha this isn't funny!" He nearly shouted, startling their group. He dove down, searching for him, swimming around quickly, searching for his mate who was in danger. Sesshomaru felt his inner beast clawing at him, demanding that their mate be in their arms within the next few moments or all hell would break loose.

The humans and children came closer to the water. "Fucking dick." They heard behind them. A sopping wet, older Inuyasha was standing there with a net full of fish. Sesshomaru was still painstakingly searching the water.

"Daddy this is a mean joke." Sairiu scolded.

"Yeah, Papa's scared right now. You shouldn't do jokes like this." Sairin chimed in.

"He could use some time with his emotions. It's not like it's the worst I've done." Inuyasha grinned, but then frowned a bit at the memory.

"What's the worse one…?" Miroku asked. Everyone else leaned in, curious about how Inuyasha messed with his mate.

"Kidnapped Arashi a little bit after he was born. Never did something like that again. He almost killed everyone in the west. And he destroyed a good portion of the castle. Little me, if you can remember this, please do not do that. He didn't speak to me for like 5 months after that." Inuyasha then walked over to the water, Sesshomaru surfaced, "Mate, I'm right here."

Sesshomaru's eyes zeroed in on him. He darted out of the water, his blood boiling with anger, but he embraced Inuyasha tightly. They stood there for a long time as Sesshomaru's inner beast was certain their mate was well and unharmed. Eventually, Sesshomaru brought them down with Inuyasha in his lap as his beast checked him over again. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why do you feel the need to do things like this?" Sesshomaru whispered. However, Inuyasha could feel his red-hot emotions, it'd been a long time since Sesshomaru was this upset with him.

"I don't know." Inuyasha responded, returning his embrace.

"What if one day you're truly in danger, and I think it's another prank, and you die…don't you know I couldn't live with myself if something like that happened?" Sesshomaru continued. It wasn't as if Inuyasha hadn't thought of that. He did, and that was the reason he only did these types of jokes every couple of years, but he could see how even that could be too much. The humans couldn't hear what was going on but the younger Inuyasha blushed intensively at Sesshomaru's words. He couldn't imagine the Sesshomaru of his time saying something like that. "What is it Inuyasha? Am I not giving you enough of my attention?" The older Inuyasha was now on his back with Sesshomaru hovering above him.

Inuyasha had a frown on his face now. He didn't like what Sesshomaru was insinuating. "No." It was funny while it lasted but now Sesshomaru was getting on his nerves.

"Then why do you continue to behave like a child who is being neglected." Sesshomaru asked sternly. This time Inuyasha didn't answer. He only looked at his mate with a blank and apathetic stare. It unnerved Sesshomaru a bit and cooled his anger.

"This isn't fun anymore." Inuyasha stated after a while, pushing Sesshomaru away and darting into the tallest tree he could see.

"Petulant." Sesshomaru said through grit teeth. Sometimes it felt like he was raising 5 children, but Inuyasha tended to be a lot moodier when he was pregnant. After all, that was the last time he'd behaved like this. The pranks were few and far in between but the reaction to his scolding was off.

"Is he okay?" Miroku asked, watching the back of the older Inuyasha.

"He's fine…just pregnant." Sesshomaru stated without much thought. Inuyasha shot him a glare that would make any other burst into flames. The lord realized what he'd just revealed without much thought and everyone was looking at him with wide eyes.

The younger Inuyasha was looking at himself in shock. He was…pregnant?

After that, the group settled down and Inuyasha remained in the tree. Sesshomaru stood at the base of the tree looking up at his mate. He was sulking and feeling bored. There was also a bit of sadness mixed in, and Sesshomaru hated that he wouldn't just speak to him about it. He wasn't the only one who had to deal with his mates' emotions, and it was only fair that they had conversations about it. "Mate." He spoke calmly. Inuyasha turned to look at him. "Are you going to come down?" Inuyasha said nothing and resumed reclining on the tree. Sesshomaru sighed before jumping into the tree on the same branch his mate rested on.

"I'm sorry." Inuyasha spoke softly. Sesshomaru nodded, acknowledging the apology. "I just want to sit here and look at the trees." Inuyasha continued.

Sesshomaru sat next to him and wrapped an arm around his waist. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. However, I do not find pranks that threaten your safety, or our children's safety, funny. My youkai doesn't understand jokes Inuyasha. There is no way for me to overcome it when you or the children are at risk. Especially when you're carrying. So please, no more of those."

Inuyasha nodded, knew why the jokes upset his mate so much and he really didn't have an answer for why he continued to do them. "Okay." He leaned on Sesshomaru's shoulder and sighed. They sat there for a while before Inuyasha spoke again, "Do you still love me?"

This caused Sesshomaru to snort a bit. It was a phrase he hadn't heard in years. "Yes." He believed it was borne from some lasting anxiety Inuyasha had when they initially mated, whenever they got into a gigantic argument Inuyasha would ask him this, as a way of saying he didn't want to fight with the lord anymore. Sesshomaru tilted Inuyasha's head and kissed him gently. "I always will." He got a small smile from Inuyasha and felt some relief. He then looked out to the view Inuyasha had. Yes, he could see why his mate had been staring for so long. They both clearly missed the vast expanses of greenery.

()()()()()()()()()()

A few days later, the mates walked hand in hand with their youngest daughter resting in Sesshomaru's arm. Inuyasha could hear the older two asking their brother random questions before asking the younger version of himself the same thing. It was adorable how curious they were about him and he couldn't help but smile. The humans had been quiet and looking worse for wear. However, he knew they'd stick it out to the end and leave when he killed the girl. They were already almost there. They would probably make it within a day or two. He could see Rin running around with his daughters and playing the same game. He was a bit worried, as Sairin didn't know her own strength and he didn't want the fragile girl to be hurt. As for his son, he was walking with the younger version of himself and watching them along with Shippo. All was well. The last time they made this trip it was without incident, so he expected the same.

"Daddy my feet hurt!" Sairiu whined as she came up to the older Inuyasha. He picked her up and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Is that better?" He asked.

"Uh huh." She confirmed. "Thank you." He said nothing and pecked her on the forehead. He looked at her hair which was becoming quite tangled and matted with a sigh. There'd be a lot of tears when the servants fixed their hair. Sesshomaru confirmed that there were a few people in their family that had curly hair which is where the trait came from. He and Sesshomaru hadn't known what to do with it so it was always left to the servants. From what he understood, their hair couldn't even be brushed.

"You're so polite." Inuyasha smiled.

"A princess is always polite." She said with a grin.

"But..?" Inuyasha said.

"But daddy's princess can fight with her words and her fists!" She giggled in his arms.

"That's right!" Inuyasha didn't like how differently the people in the palace wanted to educate his daughters from Arashi. His daughters wouldn't be pushovers who kept quiet because they were women. Oh no, his daughters would be warriors as much as he and Sesshomaru were. Their gender had nothing to do with their abilities. The only difference is that once they reached a certain age, they'd be able to learn magic. Which was part of the reason they didn't have to train as hard as Arashi did. Although, he was sure Sairin wanted to be a sword wielding princess. So, she might end up with the same rigor. His daughters would truly be a force to be reckoned with.

Soon, Sairiu dozed off into a much-needed nap after quietly chatting with Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. Sairin was walking with her brother and the younger Inuyasha, teaching Inuyasha how to play rock, paper, scissors. Sesshomaru couldn't help the guilty feeling that surfaced in his chest. Inuyasha had never gotten an opportunity to be a kid, he regretted how angry he'd been with Inuyasha when they initially mated because he felt comfortable enough to start doing childish things, like the pranks. At one point the entire castle was complaining because of it, he remembers how upset Inuyasha had gotten because of his words. He wanted to play because he'd never been able to, which is why Sesshomaru was fine being pranked most of the time. Inuyasha was a very playful person and he hadn't been ready for the switch that had happened when he no longer had to behave like an overly defensive adult. For the first time since he was young, he was safe, well fed, and free to act as he wished. He felt his mate squeeze his hand with a concerned look. "I am fine. Sorry for worrying you. Just thinking about somethings." Like all of his regrets concerning his mate.

"Hehe! Little daddy won Arashi!" Sairin giggled along with Rin.

Inuyasha tilted his head, "What's the point of this?"

"Nothing, it's just a game." Arashi shrugged. Inuyasha nodded his understanding. Kagome was surprised he didn't already know that game. She assumed everyone knew that game because of how old it was. She looked at Sango and Miroku who showed no signs of being tired and wondered how everyone was doing so well aside from her. Even Rin was better off than she was.

"Arashi-shi! Let's play the tree game!" Sairin suggested.

"Oh wow, I haven't played that in forever, but I think little daddy would be too good at it." Arashi explained, "He made up the game after all."

"Oh right. I forgot." Sairin nodded.

"And Rin wouldn't be able to play either. We have to make sure everyone can play okay?"

"Okay aniki!" She nodded again. The younger Inuyasha had noticed the girls really watched Arashi closely, and he was a very nice older brother to them. Since coming into contact with them, he wondered what his life would have been like, had Sesshomaru taken him in.

The younger Inuyasha stretched his arms up before clasping his hand behind his head and listening to the sounds of nature and footsteps. He opened his eyes and looked up at the clouds. Their lives were so different than what he thought would happen when he got older. If he was honest, he didn't really see himself living past 400. He'd call that a feat. He listened as the kids chattered on before looking at the entwined fingers of the older Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. Even with their arguments and the ups and down…their lives seemed so perfect…so happy. Could he really have that? He wondered what price he'd have to pay for that. He started to lag behind until he was at the end of the group where he eventually stopped and began to walk off.

"Inuyasha where are you going?" Kagome asked, noticing him leaving.

Her and her big mouth, he wanted to slip away quietly so he could go think. "None of your business." He grumbled as he took to the trees and darted away. He could still sense them but now he felt freer to emote. He sighed heavily and put his head into his hands. "Do I really want that?" He thought to himself. "Can I really have that?" He wondered. He thought about the gentle kisses he'd seen the pair share when in the tree at the lake. He remembered the soft 'I love you's' and Sesshomaru confirmation that he'd always love him. It made him blush fiercely. He wanted that…but not with his Sesshomaru. Inuyasha didn't think he could handle being mated to his brother as he currently was. The older one, the more mature one…the one who already loved him…was more desirable. How long would it take before his Sesshomaru became that?

He could feel his youkai rumble unhappily at his thoughts. It wanted Sesshomaru without a doubt and saw no difference between older and younger. He could sense them getting further away and sniffed around. He just wanted to be alone for the most part, so he followed behind at this distance. When nightfall came, he was sitting in a tree and staring at the full moon. At least he wouldn't have to worry about turning into a human anytime soon. Inuyasha dozed off in the tree, his youkai alert to his surroundings. He felt the branch dip down and opened his eyes to see Sesshomaru staring at him. He was shocked awake before realizing it was the older Sesshomaru and lowering his guard. "Is all well?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to be alone for a bit." Inuyasha avoided the lord's gaze. It made the lord's youkai want to purr, it loved it when Inuyasha was submissive. Sesshomaru began to approach but was stopped before he got a chance to pull the young hanyou into his arms. "You're…it's hard for me to think when you're around…" Inuyasha stated quickly, turning away from Sesshomaru, and inching away.

"I'm sorry?" Sesshomaru questioned. He couldn't see the rosy red face of the hanyou and wondered at the statement. Inuyasha's youkai always made him feel weird when the lord was near. Warm, itchy, and very needy. It was unsettling at times. "Inuyasha?" The young hanyou jumped at the feel of Sesshomaru's large hand at his waist. "Have I done something to upset you?"

"No…" Inuyasha said softly. It wasn't necessarily the truth nor was it a lie.

"Would you like to spare to take your mind off of it?" Sesshomaru suggested. Maybe letting off a bit of steam would help him relax and feel better.

"No." He stated firmly. "I just want to…be by myself."

"I apologize Inuyasha. We've stopped for the night; I'll be there if you need me." Sesshomaru stated before preparing to jump down.

"Why now?" The barely audible whisper came from behind the lord. Inuyasha pulled all of his limbs in, he didn't know what it was, but he felt a part of him snap. He'd been holding on for a while now, his mind was confused, his body was confused, and too much had been changing too rapidly. "Why are you here now…?" Inuyasha whispered, feeling his eyes sting and feeling his anger build. Why was he going to cry? He didn't want to cry! Crying got him no where when he was young except hurt and abused, so why did he feel like crying?

"I'm sorry Inuyasha." The older Sesshomaru came closer to him. Kneeling down closer to Inuyasha.

"I don't wanna hear that from you!" Inuyasha shouted suddenly. Eyes bright red with his youki, markings prominent on his face. He looked startled at the gentle look he was receiving from the lord.

"I know…" Sesshomaru stated quietly. Forcing the hanyou into his arms as he growled and struggled for freedom. Soon the fighting died down and he was calm in his embrace.

"I needed you then…not now" His quietly, gravelly yet broken voice rose from where his face was buried and his clawed hands gripped Sesshomaru's clothes.

"I know Inuyasha." He knew that. He'd always known that. And when he was young and stupid, he knew that the most. Inuyasha was his closest family member, and he'd pushed him aside. No matter how hard he'd tried, he just couldn't forget he existed. He felt memories coming back of all the times he'd come across the pup, hurt, starved, but still alive…still struggling and fighting for his life. He'd find himself wishing that the pup would just give up, but he never did. Sesshomaru couldn't bring himself to kill a child…and he felt even more reluctant when he saw how strong his younger sibling was becoming…he felt guilty. He felt like…if he could erase Inuyasha…then than guilt would disappear…so when he was older he would kill him. However, now that he was older, he realized, he would have regretted that for the rest of his days. To move through this world without Inuyasha just wasn't an option anymore. He wasn't much older than Kiki when he was on his own…and it hurt even more now than it did back then. How could he leave his own flesh and blood to the wilds of this world? He was truly, so very selfish.

"I really…needed you…." Inuyasha whimpered.

"I know."


	10. Chapter 10

The preparations were complete. Sesshomaru wanted to sigh as he realized he could sense them getting closer. The emotions of the older Inuyasha had been bugging him, more like, they'd been bugging his youkai. Since he was pregnant his youkai was going a bit haywire. "Milord, a large group was seen heading this way." A general reported.

"I can sense them from here." Sesshomaru stated coldly.

"Yes…they're quite powerful." The woman nodded.

It would be an hour before they arrived…and Sesshomaru could sense that the younger Inuyasha had come along with them. Part of him doubted the hanyou would come along, but his youkai was ecstatic. It was lashing out at his control, demanding he go greet his 'new mate' who he hadn't seen in so long. Many of his advisers knew Inuyasha would be coming to the castle, some were quite apposed but the Hashira put an end to their comments quickly. All that had gone searching for those from the future, returned and the castle was bustling with activity. Many were treating it as the younger prince's welcome home, there wasn't necessarily a lot of animosity towards hanyou within the lower class of youkai but for the noble classes, there were a lot of issues. Sesshomaru didn't think anyone would be foolish enough to try and harm him but that was physically, he wasn't sure how Inuyasha would fair in this environment socially.

He went to his study to work on paperwork that had piled up until a servant came to inform him that they'd arrived and were being shown to their designated rooms.

()()()()()()()()()()

To say he was nervous would be an understatement. Inuyasha was fully anxious being in such a fortress that was the western palace. It was gigantic, and the level of youki in the area put him on edge. He could see the multitude of eyes on them. The older version of himself didn't seem bothered, in fact, instead of shrinking from the attention as he was, he looked to be standing taller. He looked like an unflappable demon lord. Inuyasha couldn't help the way his eyes looked down at himself, at his dirty feet and hands. "Can I really be that?" He could see Sesshomaru's cold mask on his own face. There were many things that he didn't like about the older version of himself…but overall, he liked the older version of himself, even though he was annoying as all hell.

He looked at him human companions who looked guarded as well. When they got to a certain point, guards came and escorted them the rest of the way. He'd never come in this direction because felt like Sesshomaru's territory, and he was always the last person he wanted to run into. He'd always known where the ancestral lands were, his instincts could lead him there, but it was his first time truly seeing the lands of his father.

"Ew…it's so gross here." Arashi commented, looking at the dirt roads of the outskirts in disgust.

"We said the same thing!" The twins chimed from where they were walking.

The youngest pup had just woken up from a nap and was looking around quietly as the residual sleep left her. "Daddy I'm sad."

Inuyasha scowled, "Why are you sad?"

"I miss Su-chan..." Su-chan was his daughter's stuffed animal that she was very attached to. She typically slept with it every night especially when he was away as it was made partially with his hair and youkai to keep her calm. His other children had similar objects to help with anxiety when Sesshomaru was away, and while his son might not admit it, he still had his and kept it under his pillow.

"We'll see Su-chan soon, and then you can tell him all about your adventure okay?" Inuyasha suggested. His daughter nodded sleepily, but still whimpered a bit. She really did love playing with that toy.

"Kiki wants to walk." Inuyasha set her down and she immediately went to hold her older brother's hand as they walked. Arashi gave her a little squeeze and she quietly walked next to him. Inuyasha shrugged off the weird behavior and continued forward with his head held high.

Soon they were let into a large gate that separated the palace from the town. It was truly magnificent. A man was there to greet them with a multitude of servants. "Hello, my name is Makoto, adviser to the lord of the west. Please, allow us to show you your accommodations." They could hear whispers of the other advisers and the council as they commented on the lord's younger brother. The others were lead in one direction, but the servant asked the young Inuyasha to come in a different direction. "Where are you tryna' take me?" He asked when she tried to lead him away.

"Your rooms milord." Everyone was looking at him and it was starting to set his nerves off.

The older Inuyasha sighed, "Just go little me. You'll be fine." He waved his hand dismissively and continued on to the guest wing of the large structure. The younger Inuyasha frowned as he watched everyone leave, making eye contact with his pack as they were guided away with worried looked on their faces. His clawed hand came to rest upon the hilt of his sword.

"Follow me milord." She stated. He followed her through the halls, too on edge to take in anything that they were passing. They came upon a door, and while he wasn't the best at reading, he could see was clearly engraved. 'Inuyasha'. His name stood out on the wooden doors and he bit his lip. The servant opened the door for him and bowed, it made Inuyasha uncomfortable. He'd never been shown such a high level of respect before. When he entered, the servant came behind him. "Is there anything milord would like? Perhaps I could draw a bath?"

"Uhh…sure…" Inuyasha mumbled, looking around the ornate room. The walls were painted magnificently, with blues, oranges, and reds. The sun depicted on one side of the room and the moon on the other. The servant went into one of the doors and Inuyasha could hear running water. He'd never seen anything like what Kagome had in her home, in this time. He followed the servant, the bathing chambers looked like a hot spring. It was so strange…to be here in the home of his father. The servant was adding a variety of things to the water and he turned to leave and look around a bit more. Behind another door was a large bed. Inuyasha was almost too afraid to touch anything with his dirty hands. He could see a balcony with a forest like garden below it. Turning away from it he came back into the common space and opened another door, it was a small, quaint dining area. The air was fresh, and there weren't many scents in these rooms…as if no one had ever lived here.

Inuyasha bit his lip as he thought. Had this always been here for me? The last door he entered had many shelves and clothing. He opened drawers and could see a multitude of jewelry, undergarments, and shoes. He felt out of place…as if he shouldn't be here. "Milord, the bath is ready." Inuyasha nearly jumped out of his skin. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he'd forgotten that he wasn't alone.

"Okay…" Inuyasha nodded. He returned to the bathing room which connected to the bedroom as well. He stood looking at the water when the servant touched his shoulder making him flinch and growl defensively.

She bowed immediately, "I apologize milord. I only thought to help you bathe."

Inuyasha looked at her as if she grew two more heads, "I don't need help bathin'…you can go or whatever."

"I understand milord. Might I set out clothing for you to wear when finished?" She asked. Her lord had told her to be patient with the young prince, and to not get in his way, but to be as helpful as she could. Lord Sesshomaru had chosen her specifically because of her sworn loyalty to the shiroinu bloodline as she was the descendant of Hashira, and it was their bloodlines god given duty to care for the shiro inu of the west.

"Y-yeah…" With his confirmation she bowed once again and turned to leave, closing the door and leaving the prince to himself. Now that he was alone, after hearing her leave the main room, he felt his shoulders drop with the weight they'd been carrying. "What the hell am I doing here…?" Inuyasha began to pull his clothing off, letting them drop to the floor. He looked around the large room before seeing full jars of various colored liquids. He read the characters written on it, 'Hair'. He sniffed it before gagging and setting it down. The smell was horrifically strong, and it made his head throb. Picking up another labeled the same he smelled it, it was a lot more subtle. He tested a few others but settled for the second one. It was just a lot more pleasant to his senses. He looked around the room, wondering if it were like Kagome's home where he would need to wash before going into the water. He could see a stool tucked away but couldn't find where the water would come from. Eventually he found an exposed pipe and pulled a lever. The water was as hot as the bath water, which he was grateful for.

Flattening his ears, he sat on the stool under the torrent of water. He pulled the lever again to shut the water off before taking the soft hair stuff and rubbing it in his hands. He smelled it once again before working it through his tangled matted hair. As painful as it was, he tried to comb through it with his claws, it was what he usually did. After washing his hair, he used the nicest smelling wash for his body before rinsing. When he sank into the hot water, he couldn't believe how his body untensed. He didn't know what the woman added to the water, but it made his muscles feel better and softened his calloused feet and hands. "It'd be nice to do this every day…" Inuyasha whispered to himself.

He had no clue how long he'd been soaking in the water, but it had started to cool when he finally decided to leave. He dried off with the towel the woman had left by the door before going into the bedroom and looking for the clothing the woman had left out. She laid the clothing on the bed, it was similarly styled to his firerat, but looked like it was made more for training than travel. Inuyasha examined the clothing before putting everything she'd left on. The fundoshi gave him trouble as he wasn't used to wearing them, but he assumed he had it. It was slightly uncomfortable but felt better than going without. When he was fully dressed, he only got a chance to glance at himself in the mirror before he heard knocking. Using his nose, he couldn't smell anyone. "Little me it's me." He heard.

"Come…in?" He said suspiciously. Why would he come see him?

The older version of himself opened the door and sighed when he looked at him. "Come here." The older man began to harshly readjust his clothing as if he were a small child while explaining how to wear the clothing. "It's important that you dress properly here. Very important."

"Why?" He asked.

"Because we'll always have enemies." Inuyasha stated through grit teeth. He then pulled Inuyasha to the room with all the clothing. "That servant girl that was in here is really helpful. Let her help you get dressed okay? Don't wear anything on this side of the closet. In fact, make her get rid of that shit."

The younger Inuyasha was very confused. "Why?"

"It's outdated. It shouldn't be here in the first place." Inuyasha growled. At his younger self's confusion Inuyasha sighed, "Listen. If you decide to mate with Sesshomaru there are going to be a lot of hoity toity bastards that are gonna have a problem with it. We can't always just go knocking heads. Even though I really want to. Don't trust any of Sesshomaru's advisers aside from Makoto, and the council is shit. The Hashira, Sesshomaru, and being Touga's son are your best weapons throw it around like it's money."

"Hashira?" Inuyasha asked, mind reeling as the older version spoke.

"Some good people." Inuyasha's grin was feral. The older gripped a chair and closed his eyes as his memories began to readjust. When he opened his eyes, his grin was much larger. "This is gonna be so much fun." He pulled the younger to a vanity and took a comb to his hair. "Let her take care of your hair too." The older tamed his unruly mess of hair and for the first time in forever, Inuyasha could run his claws cleanly through his hair. The older added some oil and then he was done. Before he left, he also taught the younger how to wear shoes and even though they were ridiculously uncomfortable, he should wear them. As he was leaving, he took in the image of himself. He really looked like a prince. "Hold your head up high, we're not ashamed of anything." He winked at himself before heading back to his family.

The younger found a mirror and took himself in, head to toe. Admittedly, only one thought surfaced in his mind. It was the same thought he'd had when he first saw himself. "I…look like my father…" The thought made him smile just a bit. He'd never known the man, but he gave up his life for he and his mother, he respected him.

Soon more knocking was heard. "Come in." He said with less hesitation than before. "Milord, dinner will be served shortly." He took the woman in. His other self said to trust her.

"What's your name?" Inuyasha asked.

"Hikari daughter of Hashira." She introduced herself with a bow.

"Okay, Hikari. In the closet, all the clothing on the right, throw them out." Inuyasha said, wondering what her response would be.

"With haste milord." She stood, "Shall I escort milord to the dinning hall before completing the task given?"

"Y-yeah. Sure." Inuyasha stated.

As she guided him through the halls, he could smell a variety of food. His stomach growled loudly, he wondered what would be served. Soon his thoughts went from food, to the lord of the castle. He wondered if Sesshomaru would be joining them for the meal. He clenched his fists and grinded his teeth. If he was honest, he didn't want to see Sesshomaru at all. He'd delivered his ward and their older selves; he should leave the following morning. "Milord should always hold his head high." Hikari stated as they walked. Inuyasha hadn't realized when his eyes met the ground. He remembered what his older self said and tried to walk as he did. Head held high and sure-footed.

()()()()()()()()()()

Sesshomaru had never finished his paperwork so quickly. A servant informed him that everyone had been taken to their assigned rooms, including the young Inuyasha. They said he was currently bathing and Sesshomaru felt as if that was a victory. Inuyasha could have very well just left quickly afterward. He felt the quill snap in his hand with the grip he had. He'd never felt this uneasy when it concerned his younger brother. After receiving reports on all others and listening to complaints about humans' being in the castle, he thought he was finally able to retire to his own chambers but was pulled away for a meeting with his advisers and the council.

"You mated your half sibling." Was the statement from the head of council. The man only received a blank stare in return. What did he expect Sesshomaru to say?

"To bring a hanyou to the cusp of power! The throne of the west!" Another exclaimed.

Sesshomaru held up his hand to silence them. "If I should perish tomorrow. Whose blood right is it to sit upon the throne?" He asked. All in the room were silent. "I will not repeat myself."

"Inuyasha." One stated.

Sesshomaru's whip was precise as it struck the man across the face. "Disrespect shown to him is a slight against myself. Answer properly."

Through his pained whimpers he spoke, "Lord Inuyasha."

"Milord how can you suddenly say he has worth when you yourself called him worthless!?" Another asked incredulous.

Sesshomaru paused and thought about this attitude adjustment. He really thought about everything that had happened since Inuyasha's birth before speaking. "I was a fool." Many gasps were heard in the room, for Lord Sesshomaru, the perfection of the West, to admit fault was no small matter. "If anything, for this weakness I have shown, I am not worthy of this throne. There is only one more deserving of such a title than I." With that he turned his back and headed for the door. Before leaving the room, he paused, "Inuyasha was never banished from the West and you will not treat him as if he was or your lives are mine." Formally, Inuyasha was still a prince of this country. That was the one thing Sesshomaru had never taken from him. A gift from his parents. As he left his advisers hurried to follow, the young lord could feel guilt begin to eat away at him. The same guilt that always lead him to seeking out his younger sibling and checking on him.

He listened to his advisers chatter on about the council and their continued disrespect, however Sesshomaru was no fool, he trusted no one in these walls not even them. He was stopped by a servant informing him of dinner, and when he was about to continue, he saw him, as if time had slowed. It made his stomach flip. He'd only walked past the corridor he stood in on the way to the dining hall, but he stood at his full height, dressed in proper clothing. He looked like he belonged here. It was hard for Sesshomaru to believe that it was the younger and not the older Inuyasha who looked so confident, if not for his height he could have easily mistaken them. He hadn't planned on going to dinner, but now he was unsure. He wanted to be able to look at Inuyasha closer. Closing his eyes, he steeled his body and held in the stressed sigh that was building as his youkai raged at him. He pulled it in and went to change for dinner, dismissing his advisers. Could he even eat with the way his stomach turned? A frightening thought of pregnancy entered his mind before brushing it away and settling on guilt. What could Inuyasha have become if he'd taken him in as a child? His mind created various scenarios as he dressed. One thought entered his head throwing him off, different. Inuyasha would be a different person. Would that be alright? Would he still have these same feelings if that were the case? How willing would Inuyasha have been to be his mate? Sesshomaru sighed. Too much had been happening to him lately. He was nervous about seeing the older Inuyasha as well as the younger. When fully dressed he made his way to the dining hall quickly. When he entered all were seated, though Inuyasha was not where he should be. That was fine for now though, it didn't matter. His advisers, their older selves and their kids, as well as Inuyasha's human pack were all seated in the room.

When Sesshomaru entered, Inuyasha didn't realized how anxious he was until that moment. He didn't want to look at the lord but also didn't want to make it seem like he wasn't trying to stare. The older Sesshomaru had greeted him and told him he looked nice which only made him feel awkward. Everyone was cleaned up and wearing fresh clothing. Sesshomaru said nothing when he entered and only sat down. Rin greeted him cheerfully and he only nodded to acknowledge her. Soon, the servants began bringing out a variety of food. Inuyasha had never seen so much youkai food and could feel his youkai groan in delight at the sight. As everyone ate, Inuyasha wasn't prepared to be addressed directly. It was one of the adviserswho addressed him before asking a question, "How long are you planning to remain in the West Lord Inuyasha?" Inuyasha didn't like the way the man said it. However, he wasn't sure how to respond to the question, because he didn't know if a straight answer was what the man wanted. He looked at his older self, wondering if he'd be able to give him a hint but he was joyfully helping Kiki, but was listening. 'So, I should handle this myself?'

"I don't know." He stated before continuing with his meal.

"Milord, you can't possibly think to going back out to those wilds!? To leave this magnificent place." Another adviser stated, "Surely you aren't so foolish!"

"Why don't you just shut the fuck up." Inuyasha suggested as calmly as he could, looking directly at the adviser, and wondering what the man was going to say next.

"Milord such language should not be used here." The adviser exclaimed, never having heard such language from the royals of the west. "Only the ratcheted, unruly, commoners use such filthy language."

"Wow it's like he asked for your opinion." The older Inuyasha stated. 'So now he wants to help?' The younger thought bitterly. The adviser looked at him and lost some nerve at the grin on the man's face. "So, since you like giving opinions, let me have another of yours. If little me throws that bowl of rice at the wall. What should happen?"

"Ah, a servant should be called to clean the mess." He was thrown off by the sudden question.

"That's really good. I love that idea. And what if that large bowl of, what is it, natto is thrown instead?" Inuyasha asked, the mischievous glint in his eyes worrying the advisers. The adviser looked to the younger Sesshomaru for assistance but he simple continued eating, not giving any attention to what was happening around him. Both the older and the younger could feel the utter joy the older Inuyasha was feeling with messing with the advisers. In their time, Inuyasha had already killed this particular adviser before Arashi had been born.

"The same…" The adviser stated.

"Little me, let's see how hard you can throw that." Inuyasha looked at his older self before looking at the large bowl. He looked at the older Sesshomaru who sat next to him and could see the man purse his lips as he held back a smile. Inuyasha shrugged and threw the bowl as hard as he could to a wall, where it shattered loudly, leaving its contents everywhere. The kids started laughing loudly and Kiki threw her bowl of rice to the ground in a giggling fit. "Good girl! Sometimes its nice to make messes huh?"

"Uh huh!" She smiled happily as Inuyasha ruffled her hair.

"Little me, you gotta have a servant clean the mess up now." The older stated, "Everyone in this castle is a servant so it shouldn't be too difficult to find the right servant, right?" The older Inuyasha was smiling brightly at the younger who was just a bit lost.

Everyone is a servant? He questioned in his head. So, so is the adviser? Inuyasha looked at the man whose eyes widened. "Clean it up." Inuyasha words hit the adviser as if it were a blade.

"Milord, there are cleaning staff paid to handle such tasks." The adviser sputtered.

"Ooo little daddy, I think that was back talk. I think that's illegal. Who does he think he is? Questioning the authority of the west. Is it treason?" Arashi spoke from where he sat, trying his best not to burst into laughter. He'd heard about his father's old advisers who thought themselves on the same level as his parents, but he never thought he'd see it in action.

"Little prince I was not talking ba-"

Arashi cut the adviser off, "Who gave you permission to speak directly to me? Do you think I am one you can address so casually?" Arashi glared at the man who stiffened.

"Treason, treason. That's punishable by death little me, but we don't want to get our hands dirty. Hashira." Within seconds, several weapon wielding youkai surrounded the adviser with weapons at the ready.

"At your word, my lord." One spoke, his voice sure and full of venom. For Hashira, all who opposed the shiroinu of the West should perish.

"Little me, I've decided to correct somethings that the other me never told me, that I wish he had. First being, everyone in this castle is beneath you. There is no one here who can order you around or speak to you without permission unless they wanna lose a limb. The advisers are nothing more than glorified servants, and disobeying you is treason, and they can be executed." The younger Inuyasha's eyes were wide. Why was he telling him this? The younger could only wonder. The older had been humiliated at this dinner. Mocked for his hair, clothing, and lack of shoes. The adviser had basically called him an ignorant hanyou who was lower than even commoners. While he never wanted to admit it, his self-worth took a blow, and he felt more and more like he didn't belong in the west. Which led to him running away at one point, which still happened, but he was gone for less time now. It didn't take as much convincing from Sesshomaru to get him to return.

What surprised the older Inuyasha the most was seeing the younger Sesshomaru there, as he hadn't attended before, so the advisers felt more emboldened to look down on him. He was angry at his older self for not having stepped in, but he was a different person now, and he wouldn't suffer again. Sesshomaru only found out about the incident long after it had happened, and he hadn't been opposed to Inuyasha making some slight changes to the script. "So, what is it going to be Faruko? Cleaning duty or treason." The older asked, laughter becoming too hard to hold back.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Please!" Faruko turned to the only person in the country who could override Inuyasha's order.

Sesshomaru had been listening quietly and looked at the man, "Are you so opposed to following his commands?" He asked.

"I don't believe he yet understands my role here in the palace. Such duties are left to those who are paid to complete them." The adviser stated, overjoyed that his lord would step in.

"So, you've chosen treason?" Sesshomaru watched the man's face fall. The older Inuyasha could no longer hold his laughter in as he roared with joy. Usually, Sesshomaru wouldn't have made an adviser do such a menial task but Faruko had been aiming to far towards the sky and could use a reality check. Sesshomaru returned to his meal with a sip of tea.

The younger Inuyasha was shocked to silence. Had Sesshomaru…stood up for him? Inuyasha didn't know how to feel about that, it made him unsure and nervous. The adviser bowed his head in shame and went to the kitchens to grab cleaning supplies. All the kids were laughing and Sairiu and Sairin threw more food at the wall. The Hashira put their weapons away and stood behind Inuyasha. The younger looked around wondering if they were going to leave or not. "Inuyasha, they'll only leave once they're dismissed." Inuyasha nearly flinched at the younger Sesshomaru addressing him directly and with his name.

"…you can go?" Inuyasha stated, unsure if that was how he should've said it.

They bowed and were about to take off, "Hiroshi!" Was a loud squeal of recognition, making the one who asked Inuyasha's permission pause and look back. "It is you!" Sairin exclaimed. "Shishi-niisan it's Hiro-chan!" She pointed excitedly. Everyone was looking at the exchange oddly. "He's so little and cute!" The man bristled a bit at being called cute by the tiny princess. The older Sesshomaru and Inuyasha looked between their kids and the Hashira.

"Hiroshi son of Hashira." He dropped to one knee as he bowed.

"How do you know him?" The older Sesshomaru asked. Their kids wouldn't typically come into contact with Hashira unless they were calling them repeatedly, and even then, there was no guarantee they'd get the same ones repeatedly. Aside from that, if he was at this rank right now, he was probably already at the top of Hashira, and wouldn't come unless called by him or Inuyasha in the heat of war.

"Because aniki is in looooveeee with him!" Arashi looked completely mortified at the statement and the bright red blush that took over his features told his parents a lot immediately.

"No, I'm not so don't go saying weird crap like that you idiot." Arashi hit her on top of the head and she began to cry. "Oh, shut up, I didn't hit you half as hard as dad does." Sairin cried more and ran to their father. Sesshomaru rubbed her head and gave his son a look.

"Arashi, whether it's true or not is no reason to hit her." Sesshomaru scolded as she cries in his arms.

"Whatever…" He awkwardly made eye contact with Hiroshi who was still standing there patiently waiting to be dismissed. 'He's so much younger here…' Arashi thought to himself. The older Inuyasha watched the interaction closely and snorted, of course his son would have a crush on a Hashira quadruple his age. Currently he looked to be around 200 years old, so his son had a crush on someone old enough to be his father, by a lot. The older Inuyasha shrugged it off, there's nothing wrong with him having a crush. The man was probably already properly mated as well.

"Hashira, dismissed." The older Sesshomaru stated. Hiroshi bowed and vanished.

Soon the room calmed down as the meal continued. The kids giggled and laughed periodically at the adviser as he cleaned the room. Inuyasha's human pack had been quietly focusing on their food. They honestly couldn't believe what had just occurred and had never seen Inuyasha be so nasty to someone before. It left a bad taste in Kagome's mouth and she found it hard to believe Inuyasha would act this way even in the future.

When the meal was over, she wanted to talk to Inuyasha alone. Everyone had been so sure they were from the future, but if that were the case wouldn't there be youkai in the future? They were only myths and legends in her time. She tried to speak to him, but he was quickly whisked away by a servant back to his rooms where she wasn't allowed. The rooms she, Miroku, and Sango had been place were nice but clearly weren't the nicest. Even the servants were quite rude about helping them and answering their questions. They were quickly ushered back to their rooms for the night.

Upon entering his room, Inuyasha felt the weight of that dinner fall from his shoulders. There was a lot at play there that he didn't understand, but he did when he got older. The Hashira…where did they come from? He thought about the servant and looked out into the hall. There were two guards standing at his door. "Who the hell are you?"

"We are Imperial Knights. Like the Hashira, we are under the direct command of the royals of the west." One answered calmly.

"Why are you standing here?" Inuyasha wondered.

"We are your personal guards and first line of defense. We are to stand guard so that your rest is fulfilling by the order of the king." The knight watched his face turn into a scowl, "There is danger even within these walls and I'm certain Lord Sesshomaru doesn't want anyone having any ideas as to your position here milord." He explained, wondering what the prince was so confused about. The knights didn't know much about the younger prince, only that he was a half-demon and didn't reside close to the castle. Most assumed he stayed in the lands of his mother.

"Okay…" He closed the door and sighed. He wanted to talk to Hikari. Inuyasha went into the room with the large bed. "I should leave tomorrow." He whispered under his breath. He began stripping, leaning Tetsuaiga against the bed. When he was finally down to a comfortable level of clothing, he picked Tetsuaiga up and climbed under the heavy blankets. It was even more comfortable than Kagome's bed had been. He felt himself drifting off rapidly.


	11. Chapter 11

Inuyasha woke in the late afternoon, unsettled by the fact that he'd slept so deeply. Never once in his life since the death of his mother, had he slept so soundly. Not even with his friends. He sat up in the bed before standing and looking around for his firerat robes. He planned on gathering his friends and leaving the home of his father. Surely, their older selves were where they needed to be in order to leave this place. Inuyasha found himself unable to find his firerat and wondered where Hikari was. A sharp rap at the door caught his attention. "Come in." The door opened and Hikari walked in before bowing.

"Milord, the midday meal is ready." She stated before walking over to the wardrobe. She took clothing and set it out for him. "Will milord be needing any assistance today?"

"Um yeah." Inuyasha answered, thinking about his older self. "With my hair too…"

"Right away." Inuyasha awkwardly let her help him with the complicated clothing before he sat at the vanity and she brushed his hair. He was anxious with her behind him, but he trusted his older self to an extent. If he couldn't trust himself, who could he trust?

"Where's my firerat?" Inuyasha finally asked.

"In the laundry room. It will be cleaned, maintained and returned to your wardrobe within two days." She responded.

"It doesn't need to be cleaned or maintained. It cleans and fixes itself." Inuyasha grumbled.

"Is that so? I will inform the other servants immediately and have it returned to you by the end of the day." Hikari nodded, finishing his hair with a touch of oil to make it shine. She smiled to herself a bit, it was fun being able to take care of the younger prince, she even wished he'd come to the castle when he was much younger. There wasn't much of anything Sesshomaru would be able to do to him if he'd decided to stay here. The duty of Hashira was to serve and protect, even when it was from each other. There wasn't much they could do when Inuyasha wandered from the western lands and into other territories. Their mere existence put others off, and their presence could lead to war if they weren't careful. Even still, some would go check on the younger prince. Killing animals in his path and large youkai that chased him. It was hard for them to ignore their duty to the younger prince, and many reluctantly left him on his own. She remembered her father's stories about when he would watch over the prince at his mother's estate. Her relatives wanted to kill the pup, but they put an end to those ideas with the full threat of the west's Hashira. "I have finished my lord." Inuyasha stood and looked at himself in the mirror. His hair had never been so well maintained.

"What are they serving for lunch?" Inuyasha asked.

"A variety of foods, if there is something specific that you'd like to eat, simply request it." She explained. "Should I escort you to the dining hall? Or would you like to take your meal in your rooms?"

Inuyasha thought about that. He really didn't want to see anyone right now. "I can do that?"

She smiled at this, "There is very little that my lord is incapable of in these lands, and especially in this palace. We are here to serve you. Order us as you wish." She thought about when Lord Sesshomaru was the same age. He was very high and mighty, and while he mellowed with age, he still behaved like his mother most of the time with his rude orders and impossible commands. Most of the time, for the ordinary servants, if felt like he was telling them to simply go die. The young prince reminded her of lord Touga in his mannerisms. He was very polite and treated the servants like people, aside from what she'd heard had occurred in the dining hall.

"Uh okay then…I guess I'll just eat in here." Inuyasha sighed with some relief. He didn't want to see anyone until it was time for him to leave. The mere thought of seeing Sesshomaru at all made him anxious and being in the palace was making him feel weird. At least behind the closed walls and doors, he was truly alone, and no one would bother him or request anything of him for the time being.

"Alright my lord, I will go get your meal. Is there anything specific that you would like? A dessert perhaps?" She suggested. She'd heard a lot about Inuyasha when he was a small child from her father, and said the small child loved the sweets his mother would give him. She had no doubts that it'd probably been quite some time since he'd had something sweet and flavorful.

"Sure…but I don't really know any desserts…" He scowled at her as he thought.

"Then may I surprise you?" She asked with a gentle smile.

"Uh okay. Sounds good." He scratched the back of his head. He wasn't used to youkai not showing an immediate hatred towards him because of his hanyou status. Hikari had only been polite and respectful the entire time, and while it was nice that she didn't despise him he couldn't help but find it suspicious.

"I will return shortly." With that she left the room and didn't return for 20 minutes. When she returned, she was wheeling a sizable cart into Inuyasha's private dining room. She set the various dishes out and stood to the side.

"Do you want to eat with me?" He asked awkwardly.

She gave him a smile, "I've already eaten. Thank you. Would you like tea with your meal? Sake?"

"Tea…are you sure? S'kinda weird just havin' you standin' there." Inuyasha said slowly, not sure he'd ever get used to the weird servants.

"If it's your will, I shall take my leave and see about your firerat." She suggested while preparing the tea.

"Yeah okay." She bowed after serving him and left him alone.

Inuyasha didn't know what it was, but the silence was welcome. Here in these rooms alone, he felt calmer than he had in a long time. While he wanted nothing to do with Sesshomaru, he also didn't want anything to do with his friends. However, right now, no one could bother him. Aside from Sesshomaru, and he highly doubted the younger would come see him. Even still, he didn't have to answer the door if they knocked. He could ignore them and according to his older self, no one could do anything if he decided to hole up in the room alone. However, there was the night of the new moon to consider. He should leave before that occurred.

He sipped at the tea; it was sweet. For the first time since he was young, he took his time eating what was in front of him. Savoring every flavor and wondering what the cooks could have done to the food to make it taste this wonderful. He'd be delighted to eat food like this every day. He closed his eyes after placing a crispy charred piece of flesh on his tongue. "I could eat this every day." He mumbled to himself as he continued eating. As he ate, he felt his eyes sting. He didn't know why tears began pouring down his face but his grip on his chopsticks tightened. Here alone, in front of all this food, he couldn't help thinking of his childhood. The days starving and wandering, wondering why everyone hated him. Wondering why his mother didn't wake up and learning what old age was. He would've killed for even a crumb of the meal he was eating, and yet Sesshomaru saw fit to leave him starving and alone. He took in a human child that shared none of his blood and left his own brother out to fend for himself. He hated Sesshomaru so much for that. "Why am I even here?" Inuyasha questioned himself. He sniffled and looked at the food in front of him and thought about their older selves. "It's just my youkai messing with me. When they leave everything'll go back to normal." Back to the way it's always been. He would be chased from these lands with the same venom and anger Sesshomaru had always shown him.

Inuyasha finished all the food in front of him, even the delightfully sweet pudding Hikari had brought him. When he finished, he went back into the bedroom, laid down with Tetsuaiga in his hands and dozed off once more.

()()()()()()()()()()

Sesshomaru was a bit put off at the report he'd gotten in regard to his brother. The younger hadn't left his rooms in several days, the only person coming and going being Hikari and he was refusing all others. His friends were being restless and annoying, and their older selves were no help. The only thing he received from himself was a simple, "Be kind." He looked at the key in his hands, the key that in this moment felt very heavy. He was sure this would get the hanyou out of his rooms, as it wasn't as if he could force the hanyou to leave them. He couldn't even enter them unbidden, that was just the magic of the rooms his father had built. The same was true for his own.

He walked up to Inuyasha's door and a posted knight knocked. Sesshomaru heard some shuffling on the inside and the door opened to reveal a slightly disheveled Inuyasha. His eyes widened for a moment before he slammed the door. Sesshomaru stood there, eyes wide at the level of disrespect he was just shown. The knights stood, mouths gapping at what the young prince had just done.

Behind the door Inuyasha wanted to slap himself. How could he let his hormones guide him like that? He never expected the younger Sesshomaru to come see him and assumed it was the older. His hormones had been going a bit haywire and the mere thought of the lord was enough to get him going. His youkai nearly jumped out of him when it sensed him nearing, it wanted to be touched, kissed, and licked. Inuyasha sighed, waiting for the lord to explode on the other side of the door and hurl the usual insults. When nothing happened, he got a bit curious. Slowly he opened the door, Sesshomaru was still standing there, but now he was giving an annoyed look. "What do you want?" He asked, wondering what the lord was doing here. Was he going to make him leave? He wondered.

The lord held up a key, "This belongs to you." Inuyasha looked at the key before gently taking it, as if at any moment, Sesshomaru would harm him. He examined the key and wondered what it was. "That is all I wanted." He stated before he turned to leave. Inuyasha continued examining the key, what was he supposed to open with this?

Closing his door, he sat in the common room examining it and wondering why Sesshomaru had given him the key. Hikari entered with the snack she'd gone to get as he lazed around. "Hey do you know what this is for?"

Hikari took a good look at the key. Of course she knew what it was for. Only Hashira descendants were allowed to clean that room. "We can go to the room it opens if you wish."

"Okay." Inuyasha finished his meal and dressed. Hikari led him to the ornate doors that the key opened. "What's in here?" He asked as she opened the door.

"I'm sure you would know better than I." She stated calmly. Walking in, Inuyasha wasn't sure what he was looking at at first. There were many chests and trunks, but one thing stood out in the room. The portrait on the wall. The beautiful human woman, with obsidian black hair and porcelain skin.

"Mom?" He whispered, voice cracking a bit. He never thought he'd see her ever again. The un-mother had been an opportunity, but it was still off. However, this, this was truly her in her youth. He approached the painting slowly, the gentle smile on her face sparking his memories. He finally tore his eyes away as Hikari set the key down and excused herself. Inuyasha began going through the various chests in the room. In one he found her clothing…it still held her scent, even after all these years. "How…?" He whispered in confusion. In the chests he found so many of her things, her paintings, letters, jewelry, art, everything. Everything that he thought her family had burned and destroyed was here. Even her old makeup. In a particular chest he found a bell. He remembered his mother helping him practice his hearing and listening skills. She would attach the bell to a cat and let it loose in the garden for him to find. He couldn't help the smile that came to his face at the memory.

In that same chest he found a small painting of a small puppy eared child. It's me… He thought to himself. He looked like Kiki at this age. The painting was made many years before his mother died, he wore a simple outfit and small shoes. He didn't remember when this was painting but it was nice having something from when he was a child. In a different chest were various documents, treaties, letters and deeds. Reading one document he noted that it was the deed for the land where the mansion of his mother's family stood. He could see his mother's name at the bottom of it, as she was the only child of the main family. He thought that was odd because women couldn't inherit property in the human world. Reading on below that, he saw his name. His eyes doubled in size. His grandfather wouldn't have left him the land and had died long before he reached even 30 years of age. He looked through the other documents, and sighed. Many of them were the same. Why was this all here though?

For hours Inuyasha went through the contents of the room, the favorite being all of the letters from his mother addressed to him. He read them over and over, elated that he had enough skill to make out the words on the worn, fragile parchment. He didn't know how long he'd spent in the room until a knock at the door brought him from his musings. He could smell Sesshomaru, but he wouldn't be fooled again. Calmly he opened the door, and the older Sesshomaru was standing there with a gentle look in his eye. "It's nice to see you moving about. Are you well?" He asked.

"M'fine…" Inuyasha felt his face heat at the proximity of the lord. "Why…why is all of this here?"

Sesshomaru looked up, behind Inuyasha and into the room. "I don't know." He answered.

"So, who put it here…and why'd you have the key." Inuyasha asked.

"That is not what I meant Inuyasha. I meant that I don't know what compelled me to save these things. Though, in giving you the key I'd hoped to improve your mood. I was hoping it would give you reason to move around and explore the palace. Locking yourself in your room was concerning."

"Why would you even care about something like that?" Inuyasha scowled, why would the younger Sesshomaru give a damn if he wasn't leaving the rooms unless he wanted to kick him out.

"Because I care about you Inuyasha." The older leaned down and pecked him softly. Inuyasha's youkai all but melted in his head. An embarrassed bright red blush overtook his features and the older Sesshomaru couldn't help the small smile the reaction brought to his face. Even though his Inuyasha pretended not to, small intimate acts like that were his favorite, and he enjoyed them the most. "I'm glad to see you out and about. You should share a meal with us soon."

"Um…" Inuyasha felt his youkai lash out when the older Sesshomaru kissed him again and pulled him in by his waist. His head was feeling fuzzy and it was hard to push the man away. "Wait…s-stop…" The kiss was deepened as a sneaky tongue entered his mouth before he was gently released.

"Sorry Inuyasha." Sesshomaru angled his chin up, hand squeezing him slightly at the waist. "You really are so very cute." He wanted to laugh at the tomato red color that took over. "I'll see you later. Goodbye Inuyasha." The young hanyou as finally released and was watching his back with a frown.

Why would he do that? "So annoying…" He muttered as he turned to reenter the room. He was stopped in his tracks, and his heart began to beat faster. He was feeling so embarrassed. Because of the older Sesshomaru he hadn't sensed him. How much had he seen? What had he heard? Inuyasha quickly went into the room and locked the door, leaving the younger Sesshomaru staring after him with wide eyes.

He'd come to check on him since he'd been in the room for so long. He hadn't yet held a conversation with Inuyasha since he arrived. He hoped it would be calm and productive with him surrounded by his mother's things, and perhaps he could answer questions about the items. As a bit of a gateway to civility at best. He hadn't expected to see Inuyasha kissing his older self. The most shocking part is that the hanyou had not exploded at the older Sesshomaru. He couldn't imagine kissing Inuyasha like that without the young man lashing out. Yes, because of his youkai, he'd stolen a kiss from the hanyou, but that was childish at best. Had Inuyasha been intimate with his older self already? He wondered. If that was the case, then was the future shown to them truly possible? Sesshomaru also felt a bit of anger boil in his chest. He was annoyed with his older self and had been for quite some time. He didn't like the liberties he was taking with Inuyasha.

()()()()()()()()()()

A few days later, Inuyasha was back in his rooms, but this time some of the chests and his mother's portrait were in the room as well. He was slowly going through all of the chests to confirm their contents. He heard a rap on the door that caught his and Hikari's attention. He could smell Miroku. From what Hikari told him, they'd been under the watchful eye and scrutiny of the servants and guards. He wondered how Miroku had been able to come and knock on his door. Sure, he felt a bit bad about not seeing them for all these days they ended up being here but he hadn't been this at peace before, and he wanted to enjoy it a bit more before they started tracking Naraku once more. "Come in." Inuyasha watched from on the floor as Miroku opened the door and took in the room.

"This is magnificent. Very fitting for a prince." Miroku commented with a whistle.

"What's up?" Inuyasha asked as he began putting the letters he was reading away.

"We haven't seen you for 14 days Inuyasha." This made his eyes widened. Yes, he'd been holed up but he didn't think he hadn't seen them for such a long amount of time. "We've been really worried about you." Miroku took a seat on a chair and was given tea but the servant who then stood to the side quietly.

"I'm alright…I've just been in here for the most part…" Inuyasha explained. "All of this stuff…was my mom's." He said gesturing towards all of the chests before pointing at the portrait. "That's my mom…"

Miroku looked up at the painting in awe. "She's so beautiful." He whispered. He'd never seen someone so beautiful. He could see why she captured the eyes of the daiyoukai. One would be a fool to not admit that. He wanted to see her in life, he wondered just how well the painting captured her beauty.

"Hehe, yeah." Inuyasha smiled up at the portrait. It'd been a long time since Miroku had seen him smile so freely. "Oh, and let me show you these letters. Also, apparently, I inherited my grandfather's entire estate, and it's just been maintained by the Hashira. We can go check it out when we head back east." Inuyasha continued. Miroku hadn't seen him this animated in a long time. They hadn't been fairing too well in the palace, and Sesshomaru had granted him permission to enter the family wing of the palace to speak with Inuyasha. The humans had been stuck in a suit style room, and weren't allowed to wander the castle grounds as everyone else was. "Miroku come with me, I'm gonna show you something cool." Inuyasha grabbed his arm and began pulling him from the room. Hikari followed closely behind.

Miroku couldn't help the frown that came to his face. If this was how Inuyasha felt about him now, happy and wanting to share things with him, what could have possibly happened to ruin their friendship. "Inuyasha wait a second." Inuyasha paused and looked back at him. "Before we leave this room…can I talk to you about something?"

Inuyasha tilted his head slightly, "What's wrong?" His anxiety began to rise as his mind went to the worst cases.

Miroku began to speak to Inuyasha about the hostility shown to the human pack by his elder self. Inuyasha listened intently wondering why his older self would behave like that towards them, well Sango and Miroku. "It hurts to think that I've done something to ruin our friendship to such an extent. That even after 100s of years you're still mad at me. Truly Inuyasha, you were one of my first friends. One of the only people not put off by the kaazana. I thought we'd be friends until my death, and when thinking about the past I hoped to be a fond memory that you had."

Inuyasha hadn't seen the look Miroku had in a long time, not since he told him about how his father met his end. He thought about what his older self had said to him. "The older me told me I killed Kagome." Miroku's eyes opened exponentially. "Yeah…I don't want anything to do with her, but I don't want her dead."

"I couldn't imagine you doing such a thing." He and Kagome had been together for far longer than he. Miroku looked down at his robes before grabbing Inuyasha's hands, "No matter what happens…I'll always consider you one of my best friends. I hope we can avoid this cruel fate together. I also want to speak to the other you, but it's hard to talk to him. He can be a bit off putting."

"Ugh I know. How much of my mind did I have to lose to become like that?" Inuyasha wondered. "Well, come on let's go."

Inuyasha pulled Miroku from his rooms quickly. His guards stationed at his room followed behind as did Hikari. Miroku could see the smile on Inuyasha's face as he was lead through the corridors. The servants and guards they passed bowed to him as they moved through the halls. Inuyasha had become used to the bowing and barely noticed anymore. They passed fields with 100s of guards practicing. Soon they stopped at large doors, reinforced with steel. Miroku didn't know what to do with the mischievous glint in Inuyasha's eyes. The guards stationed at the door opened it after bowing and Inuyasha pulled Miroku in. A few days after Sesshomaru gave him the key to his mother's things, he gave him another key. This key opened an armory. There were a multitude of weapons as well as materials for crafting them. Hikari had informed him he could have any weapon he desired forged, but weapons like the Tetsuaiga could only be made by true masters, like Totosai. He didn't understand why Sesshomaru kept giving him keys, but each time he did he would speak to him for a bit. Inuyasha had become used to the short exchanges that happened outside of his door. It had been so awkward seeing him after what happened with the older Sesshomaru. However, Sesshomaru said nothing about the matter whenever they met. It didn't do anything about how he felt about it though.

Miroku was taking in the room with wide eyes. "I was thinking it'd be nice to get you a new staff and Sango could fortify her weapon. We could probably even get Kagome a new bow." Inuyasha hadn't been able to fully ignore his problems but the least Sesshomaru could do is help them be prepared to take on the threat against everyone, including the west.

"That's be great for our travels." Miroku knew that realistically, Inuyasha could probably remain in the palace for the foreseeable future, especially if he and Sesshomaru reconciled.

They spent time chatting in the hall, gathering the attention of a few guards working on the training ground. There weren't many in the western palace that truly knew of Inuyasha's situation. Many made guesses such as he lived in the lands of his mother, Sesshomaru had hidden the weak half-demon away for his safety, he was horridly disfigured, and he was a wanderer a trait shared my most of shiroinu nobility.

Those that thought him ugly bit their tongues, for there were none among their clan who weren't attractive, and now they see the same held true for half demons. The working guards couldn't help but steal glances at the rarely seen prince. Some thought he was a shy hermit with the way he confined himself to his rooms. Others thought him weak and afraid of the youkai that roamed the palace. "Being here is making me feel lazy. It's been a while since we had a good fight." They overheard him saying.

"I'm sure we can find something to get us back in the groove of things. Perhaps one of Naraku's incarnations." His companion replied. This had many of them thinking, is the prince a warrior? Only those of the Hashira knew the truth about the young prince. The young prince and his companion began leaving the area, almost all of the guards watched him leave.

Inuyasha and Miroku spoke for a while longer before parting ways. Miroku noticed, that after being seen with Inuyasha the servants began to treat him with a bit more respect. He found it so interesting how differently he was treated here. Anyone would want to get used to this.

When Inuyasha arrived at his rooms, Hikari began cleaning. He went into his bedroom and laid down. Talking to one of his friends hadn't been as draining as he was expecting. He'd probably be able to talk to more of them. "Milord, I'll be going to get your meal. I will return shortly."

"Alright." He replied before listening to her leave. He felt Sesshomaru approach before a knock sounded a while later. Standing he went into the common room wondering what the lord was planning to give him this time. He was so confused about why he continued to give him things and most of the time it left him feeling awkward and unsure. For him, at any moment Sesshomaru could attack him and he had no doubts as to who the occupants of the palace would side with if a fight broke out. "Come in." He called as he entered the common room. The door opened to reveal the older Sesshomaru and he close it behind him. Inuyasha felt his youkai tense, "What's up?" The older one had been acting weirder than usual. Yes, he enjoyed the attention, but it also made him more confused and embarrassed when dealing with the younger.

"I've just come to check on you." It had been a while since they'd last seen him. When he finally started moving around the castle again, he had a few meals with them and their children. Mainly because of the way the children begged him. A soft smile graced his face, "Are you well?"

"I'm fine." Inuyasha felt his body thrum with every step the lord took towards him.

"I'm glad that you are comfortable. When I was younger, I was unsure of how long you'd be willing to stay here." He explained. "I don't know what to say to you Inuyasha, so bear with me."

The statement made him feel weird. Why would Sesshomaru be having a hard time speaking with him. "Why can't he just talk to me like you are?"

"Because we do not yet have that kind of relationship Inuyasha." Sesshomaru leaned in and pecked him softly, enjoying the slight red that dusted his face. "Would you prefer it if he did?" Sesshomaru's hand's wrapped around his waist. "That younger me." He whispered hotly into a puppy ear, "Would you prefer it if he kissed you like I do Inuyasha?" After his statement he drew Inuyasha into a long, heated kiss, that had his youkai vibrating in excitement. His hands began exploring the half-demon's sensitive body, "Would you like it if he touched you as I do?" Sesshomaru attacked his neck, licking and sucking at the location of his mating mark. He left love bites all over his neck as his hands began to open his clothing. Sesshomaru guided the dazed half-demon backwards into his bedroom. He began removing his clothing one piece at a time, showing care each step of the way. When he was naked beneath him, eyes tinted red, fangs elongated, and marking jagged and visible, Sesshomaru had a good idea of where he was in his maturity period. He was very close to going into heat, his younger self didn't know about it but there were a few specific catalysts that lead to them spending that time together. Sesshomaru wanted to extend it to make sure all those things would occur.

He nipped and sucked his way down Inuyasha's body, until he reached his straining cock. Stroking him firmly, he lapped at the tip before taking him into his mouth. The way Inuyasha twitched and begged had him rock hard within the confines of his clothing. Inuyasha's youkai prodded at his own, begging for a connection. He was sound of mind right now and wouldn't be swayed by the tempting youkai. "On your hands and knees Inuyasha." Obediently Inuyasha turned over to the vulnerable position. Sesshomaru entered him with his fingers first, working his opening for what was to come. When he felt like he was sufficiently prepared, he coated himself before he began his entrance. Inuyasha whimpered loudly, tightening, and clenching around his length. Sesshomaru grit his teeth as he reeled his youkai in. Sesshomaru let out a long sigh as he finally began slowly thrusting. Inuyasha was moaning and panting with each thrust as Sesshomaru was sure of his body and of his aim. The half-demon was seeing stars and gasping for breath that just seemed so hard to intake.

A clawed hand found his cock and stroked firmly. Inuyasha found it hard to hold himself up with the increased strength of the thrusting and stroking of his cock. Clawing his bed, he felt his arms give out and a hand push him down further. He didn't know what his youkai was doing but it clouded his thoughts and he could only focus on what his body was feeling. He wanted more. He felt the clawed hand on his back move to his next. His youkai began losing some sense and the speed of the fucking increased. Inuyasha was now just barely holding on. The heavy thrusts and stroking of his cock was so much and yet not enough at all. He really wanted more. "My cute little Inuyasha." He heard whispered into his ear as Sesshomaru draped his body over him. "Is this what you want from that younger me? To be spoiled, and ravished?" Inuyasha clenched his eyes shut. He didn't know. He didn't know what he wanted from the younger Sesshomaru. "The me of this time. Do you want to know what it is that I want, my Inuyasha?" The lord switched their position. He sat on the bed with Inuyasha firmly in his lap. "I want you." His thrusting increased in speed. "All of you." His clawed hands bouncing the hanyou on his cock. "Only you." Inuyasha felt his body jerk and twitch as he came with a loud wanton moan.

The older Sesshomaru lost track of time as he continued to pleasure the young Inuyasha. It was his submissiveness that kept him going. Every twitch, every moan, every call of his name spurred him on until he was left with a flushed, bruised, hicky-ridden, mess of an Inuyasha who still had tears clinging to his eyelashes from coming so hard. Sesshomaru bit his lip as he looked down at Inuyasha, who lay on the bed staring at him expectantly. He leaned down. "I will see you later Inuyasha. You should eat and rest." He placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. As he left, Inuyasha's youkai took over more making him stand and go after him. Inuyasha was brought back to reality some when he saw Sesshomaru staring at the younger as they stood in his double doors.


	12. Chapter 12

The young Sesshomaru had come to check on Inuyasha and to give him a gift of sorts. The guard was about to knock when the doors opened to reveal himself. Sesshomaru couldn't help but glare at himself. What business did he have in Inuyasha's rooms? When he looked behind the lord at the naked Inuyasha who's only attempt at covering himself seemed to be the bedsheet that followed him out. Sesshomaru took in all of the bruises, hickies, scratches, and scraps. He didn't understand what it was, but his blood began to boil with an anger he'd never felt before. Regardless of whether this was him from the future, this was unacceptable. "Hello little me." The older said, but the younger could see a hint of a smug smile on the man's face. Inuyasha darted into his bedroom and slammed the door. "Be kind." The elder said with a smirk before continuing past him. Sesshomaru entered the common room and stood in front of Inuyasha's bedroom.

"Inuyasha. I would like to speak with you." Sesshomaru got no response.

Behind the door Inuyasha was annoyed and irritated with his youkai because even with the younger Sesshomaru on the other side of the door he was still horny. Looking down at his hard cock he felt his youkai ragging, shouting at him to open the door, but he couldn't. He was too afraid of what would occur. This elder brother that abandoned and abused them, how would he lash out at him this time? That older brother who he hated, who logically he should hate. Why wouldn't his youkai see it his way? Inuyasha felt his head throb. "Inuyasha." He heard through the door. The cool, deep voice sending a chill up his spine. His head went cloudy and his youkai pulsed. It wanted more. It throbbed and raged until Inuyasha lost his fight with it. He was under too much mental duress which gave it its chance. The door flung open and Sesshomaru found himself on the ground with a naked Inuyasha on top. Ruby red eyes looking down at him with excitement.

He connected their lips and Sesshomaru was processing everything that was happening. He returned the kiss slowly as he realized what was happening to Inuyasha. Breaking the kiss, he took in his youki dazed younger brother as he submissively waited for more and whined when Sesshomaru did nothing. Sesshomaru could feel his cock pressed tightly against him and took a deep breath to reel his youkai in. The hanyou began pulling and shredding the lords clothing, exposing his body to the world as Sesshomaru tried to maneuver him. This is not what he expected to have to deal with right now.

"Inuyasha. Stop." He growled, gaining the youngers attention. The wide confused eyes of his youkai told Sesshomaru a few things, but the accompanying whine told him more. Inuyasha's youkai saw no difference between he and the older Sesshomaru, but his conscious mind did and as much as he would like to pleasure the hanyou, his youkai would hinder him. He did not want the conscious Inuyasha to think even less of him. Sesshomaru pinned Inuyasha quickly. "Recede." He ordered. It only stared at him and showed no signs of following his command. Sesshomaru felt his hips rubbing up and against his own. He was quite close to his heat cycle. It leaned up kissing and licking his jawline submissively. Sesshomaru could feel his own youkai now. It rocked inside him, making him feel like an earthquake had hit. "I will not pleasure you until you recede." The youkai began to whine and beg but Sesshomaru held firm. For his youkai to have such a hold showed its power. Inuyasha's mental state would be an important part of his control over it. When the youkai saw that he was firm in his words and not acting on his growing erection it huffed and whined once more before it slowly began to fade, leaving a blushing, wide-eyed Inuyasha staring up at him with a look of utter terror.

"Inuyasha?" He stated.

"W-what the f-fuck?" Inuyasha stuttered, realizing in fear how trapped he was underneath Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru placed his head in the space between Inuyasha's head and shoulder before letting his body relax. Their erections were pressed tightly in between them, and Inuyasha couldn't help the slight movement of his hips. "Your youkai is powerful." Sesshomaru began, "It is problematic for it to have so much control when your heat is still a ways off." Inuyasha's hyperventilating slowly calmed as Sesshomaru spoke. "You will need to be taught to retain your control. I will find someone suitable for the task little brother." The pressure between their bodies and the way Sesshomaru shifted caused a moan to leave the hanyou's mouth against his will. His body felt hot and his cock hurt. Everything was starting to get cloudy again and soon, his hips began rocking into Sesshomaru, who shot up and looked down at him. However, when his eyes met gold his expression softened. "It must be uncomfortable." Sesshomaru licked Inuyasha's neck, sucking, and allowing his hand to roam. He remembered his first heat. It was the worse experience of his entire life up to that point. "What do you want me to do Inuyasha?"

"Make it stop…" Was his panting, gasping reply. The movement of his hips were firm and Sesshomaru debated on what Inuyasha meant by such a statement. He took a deep breath, pulling his wiggling youkai back once more before standing and quickly making his way into Inuyasha's bathing chamber. He filled the bath with cold water, gritting his teeth when Inuyasha, dazed with youkai once again began trying to remove his clothing again.

He pulled the naked Inuyasha into the cold water making him yelp and whine. Holding him at arm's length, he waited until the arousal ebbed and he was once again within his right mind. He scrambled away from Sesshomaru in the chilling water and covered himself with his hands. Sesshomaru wanted to roll his eyes. How many times had he been sexually harassed by Inuyasha and yet he was covering himself? Although, he hadn't seen his younger brothers' body at this age before today. "Cold water can ease the symptoms until you are in heat Inuyasha. Then there won't be much you can do." Inuyasha was looking at him defensively but Sesshomaru could smell the embarrassment rolling off of him. "Keep Tetsuaiga by your side, it'll be detrimental to controlling your youkai until you are able to do so without it."

"Why?" Inuyasha spoke through grit teeth. "Why are you helping me?" Sesshomaru merely took the half-demon in. Completely disheveled, hair wet, bruises and scratches all over his body. His face was a rosy red despite the temperature of the water. "Why haven't you made me leave yet?"

Sesshomaru considered his questions and why he was asking. Was he planning to stay until Sesshomaru kicked him out? Unless he was banished there was no way for him to remove him from the palace or the lands. Regardless of his hanyou status it would have always been a slight against Sesshomaru and his ability to lead. Years ago, had Inuyasha taken residence here there would be nothing the lord could do about it. He wouldn't have even been able to attack him without the Hashira stepping in. They served the blood of shiroinu and nothing else. "I cannot." Sesshomaru removed himself from the water and headed towards the door before stopping, "and there is no reason for you to leave." Inuyasha awkwardly followed him from the bathing chambers. Sesshomaru pulled a crystal from his pocket and set it on a table. "Be careful Inuyasha. Weak youkai will break at the scent of your heat, even more powerful ones might bow. Your symptoms are strong, and there is no reason for you to suffer unnecessarily." Before Sesshomaru left his rooms, he took one look at his tattered clothing. Deciding he'd rather be seen naked than in the rags he tore the shredded clothing from his upper body. Throwing it to the ground for a servant to clean before leaving.

Inuyasha quickly went to get more clothing. As he hastily pulled the clothing on, he began to feel the stress of the situation hitting him in waves. His breath came shorter and he sat on the ground in the oversized closet. "What the fuck…?"

()()()()()()()()()()

The Older Inuyasha watched as his youngest daughter splashed in a shallow pond. "We really make cute puppies." He muttered to himself as she squealed. He thought about when the twins were the same age, they were stupidly cute as well. Most of the time he found himself staring at all of his kids in wonder that he had a part in creating such adorable beings. "It should be illegal." He murmured, watching his daughter lift the frightened expensive koi fish. "Kiki that's not going to taste good let it go!" He called to her.

"But I wanna eat it…" Kiki frowned her eyes widening and her lips falling into a pout.

"Kami why does she have to be so cute." He thought as he walked over. "Kiki you can't eat Koi. They're not yummy."

"…okay…." She continued to pout as she let the fish go.

"Just because it's pretty doesn't mean it's yummy okay?" He asked. She was still frowning but a butterfly fluttered pass and caught her attention as she chased it trying to pounce. She was laughing happily as she ran after it, waiting for it to settle. "Ugh…so cute." Since he'd had children of his own, he always got distracted by cute babies and wondered if Sesshomaru felt the same. Her laughing sounded like music to his ears.

"Inuyasha." He heard behind him.

"Yeah?" He answered not taking his eyes off his energetic puppy.

"Would you like to have tea with me?"

"Nope." Inuyasha answered with a pop of his lips. He felt a hand at his waist but didn't take his eyes off his daughter.

"May I ask why?" Was whispered into his ear.

Inuyasha turned to his mate. "I don't know. I'm just remembering how much you harassed me in the castle, and I think I should only have to put up with it once."

"Don't be stubborn, I just wish to spend time with you my dear. At least let us share a simple meal then." Sesshomaru added.

Inuyasha sorted through his mate's emotions, finding them genuine. He looked at his daughter before calling her. "Kiki time for lunch."

"Okay! I want fish!" She bounced over happily. She wiggled and giggled when she was picked up and Sesshomaru kissed her between her puppy ears. They brought her to the children's room, where the Hashira servants were setting up for lunch as the twins ran around and played. No one paid them any mind as they wove through tables and chairs but soon their play fighting turned into an actual fight. They snarled and clawed at each other. Growling and pulling hair. A Hashira appeared immediately and separated them. He held Sairin under his arm as she continued to growl and began attacking him as well. He could see the youki tinting her eyes as she clawed and bit his arm near the bone. He simply watched her blankly until she stopped abruptly and began to cry. He'd already sensed them approaching and saw no reason to speak to the princesses about their behavior as he was sure they would be disciplined.

The younger twin was already crying in Sesshomaru's arms. Sesshomaru was looking intently at the pup under his arm, more specifically he was looking at the long painful looking claw marks that were running down her face. The Hashira set her down and bowed, saluting with his mangled arm.

"What happened?" Sesshomaru asked coldly after setting Sairiu down. Both girls continued to cry fitfully. "You'll both be punished severely when we return home." Sesshomaru watched as they began to cry even more. He called for a healer as he didn't want his daughter to have such a terrible permanent scar. "I can't believe you would fight like this." Sesshomaru stated angrily.

"Sairin started it! I said I didn't want to play, and she wouldn't leave me alone!" Sairiu broke and began to sob even more. She didn't want to be punished. Their father's punishments were always worse than their dad's.

"No, I wasn't! You did that! And you hit me first!" Sairin shouted. That's what made her so angry. Sairiu had raked her claws across her face and she immediately saw red.

"No, I didn't! You hit me!" Sairiu shouted back at her.

"You're lying! No, I didn't, no I didn't!" Sairin stamped her foot in her anger. Sesshomaru had already assumed what had happened, his heavy-handed daughter didn't usually know her strength, and was usually a lot rougher with her siblings.

"Sairin you know better than to fight with your sister." Sesshomaru stated calmly.

What put him off was how wide his daughter's eyes became. "I'm not lying! You never believe me! You always take her side!" She almost immediately fell to the ground and really began to cry her eyes out. "Why does papa only hate me?" She sobbed loudly.

Sesshomaru picked her up immediately but before he could say something his mate was staring Sairiu deep in her eyes with a disappointed look. "Who the hell taught you to lie?" There was a very specific way to lie to a demon who could smell them, and the fact that she'd managed to do so was impressive but problematic. Inuyasha had already known she was lying from the minute she opened her mouth. After all, he spent a lot of time with canine youkai. His mate seemed too wrapped up in his worry about Sairin's face to notice properly. She began to cry really hard. "Stop." Her tears stopped almost immediately. "Do you think it's okay to lie to us Sairiu?" The little girl said nothing and was only looking down at her bloody clawed hands. "I asked you a question." Inuyasha growled.

"No…"

"Do you realize now we'll never believe anything you say? Because you're a liar now." Inuyasha said looking down at her. "How are we gonna trust you now Sairiu?" He asked. Inuyasha chuckled a bit, "Kami are you going to be punished. Arashi hasn't even tried to lie to us before."

Sairin was still crying fitfully in Sesshomaru's arms as he consoled her because of her worrying statement. "Papa doesn't hate you Sairin. I love you very much. I'm sorry for not listening to you." She was hugging him tightly, more now that her wound was catching up to her and it hurt. Thankfully, her poison and her sisters carried a similar potency, so she was unaffected.

Kiki began whining in Inuyasha's arms because of her sister's face. Inuyasha could see fat tears welling up in her eyes. "Kiki Sairin's okay. You don't have to cry. Do you want to give her a hug, so she feels better?" She nodded tearfully and he set her down. Sesshomaru set Sairin down as well and she accepted the comforting hug from her baby sister. The healer arrived moments later with supplies. Inuyasha blew out an annoyed breath as the healer treated the twins. This wasn't what he was expecting to have to deal with while they were here. He needed to spend more time with his younger self if he didn't want to be too surprised.

After she was treated, Sesshomaru was showing her extra attention. Sairin usually caused most of the fights but now he's wondering if that was even true. "I'm very sorry puppy." He whispered to her as he cuddled her. She whimpered in his arms, whining like the puppy she was and getting the full attention of his youkai as he used his youki to apologize and sooth her.

Inuyasha watched Sairiu be treated and Arashi and Shippo entered a moment later looking at the mess. He was wondering what could have happened. Only he noticed the quiet, bleeding hashira standing to the side. "Hiroshi! You're bleeding a lot! Why haven't you left yet?" He questioned.

Hiroshi saluted to the prince of the future, the one that seemed to know him and addressed him with familiarity. "We leave when we are dismissed my prince."

Arashi couldn't help thinking how handsome Hiroshi was. He was still very handsome in the future but here his eyes were a lot fierier with determination. He was calmer in the future and strong but mellow. He wished for a moment that they were the same age in the future. "Your last order is to go get treated. Then you're dismissed." Arashi said. Hiroshi bowed to the inu in the room before fading. His eyes met the princes one last time before he was gone.

"Hey Shishi, did you teach Sairiu to lie?" Inuyasha asked from where he watched her be treated. Sairiu flinched at his words.

"What, no, she lied to you?" He asked in surprise.

"Yeah, and I hate being lied to more than anything." Inuyasha said through his teeth.

"Wow Sairiu…you really messed up. You shouldn't ever lie, but you really shouldn't lie to dad and father. What happened dad?" Inuyasha explained the situation to Arashi and Shippo listened in while the room was cleaned and reset for a meal. Sairiu suddenly stood and ran away in the middle of being healed. She found an empty room and locked herself in it and cried. She didn't know why she lied but her papa was very scary sometimes but right now she just wanted them to forgive her and forget it ever happened. She sat in the room and cried to herself until the lock wiggled and someone opened it. "Hey what are you doin' in here?" She looked up and saw Inuyasha standing there, but it wasn't her dad it was him when he was little.

"I'm sorry." She cried.

"Come on stop cryin'. Why're you even hidin' in here crying' by yourself. Go to your parents." Inuyasha scolded.

"Everyone's mad at me right now…I just wanna be by myself…" She sniffled and sobbed more.

Inuyasha sighed looking down at the crying child, he could understand wanting to be alone when upset. However, he was sure that when he was a kid, he wanted at least one friend. "…Running and hiding isn't going to make it any better. Just go apologize."

"But I don't wanna be punished…" Sairiu began to wail.

"So, you shouldn't have done what you did then, right?" Inuyasha asked. He really wasn't good with kids and had only come to the room to retrieve something before going back to his rooms and staying there for the foreseeable future. She continued to cry. "Listen, it's not going to be as bad as you think it is. Okay? Just do better next time. Come on, go apologize." Inuyasha helped her stand and watched her walk down the long hall with her shoulders slumped. Inuyasha was a firm believer in facing your problems head on, even though he'd been hiding away from his as well. Going back to the room he leaned against the door with a frown. How was he even supposed to face this problem? His youkai clearly wanted to mate Sesshomaru, but he just couldn't. How long before Sesshomaru kicked him aside as he'd done when he was a child? He felt his head begin to throb. He hadn't seen Sesshomaru or anyone for the past three days. Multiple people had come to see him, but he just couldn't deal with anyone. The little princess was the first person he'd spoken to in several days aside from Hikari.

He sighed and stared straight ahead. "Why does it have to be him?" Of all of his enemies, aside from Naraku, Sesshomaru would be his last choice. Anyone else would be more justifiable than Sesshomaru. Anyone…so why was he the one he wanted…? His youkai rumbled inside of him. His hormones could be one thing…but that didn't explain Sesshomaru's behavior towards him. The presents…the small chats…helping him…. Inuyasha pulled his hair tight, "WHY!?" He shouted, before letting out an angry frustrated wailed of anger and anguish. He sat on the floor breathing heavily. "I need to leave. That's it…I have to go."

He scrambled up and darted to his rooms. He pulled on his firerat but found himself stuck as he looked at it. Hikari had asked to embroider it and he'd said yes without much thought. He looked at the fancy patterns at the edges. The white embroidery held the crest of the western royal family. It was off putting, and he wished he'd never agreed to it. Why are you running away? He heard in the back of his mind. "I feel like the longer I stay here, the more I'm losing my mind." He whispered under his breath. Knocking startled him from his thoughts, he felt his entire body lock up at the unexpected sound. He took a deep breath, focusing so he could see who was there. His stomach was in knots and he couldn't focus well with the stress that was coursing throughout his body. Before he could answer them, he lost his lunch in his panicked state. The door opened quickly.

"Pardon my disrespect." Hikari entered quickly and rushed to the hyperventilating Inuyasha who looked as if he would pass out at any moment. She helped him up and away from the mess. She took in his state and assessed the health of his body as well as she could with her skill. When he was sitting on his bed, still breathing heavily and eyes losing focus. She could feel his youkai rising and fluctuating. It was in a panicked state. If Inuyasha were to lose control in this state she had no doubt that he might attack someone. "Lord Inuyasha. Are you able to hear me?" He didn't respond but his heart rate continued to increase. "My lord I believe you are having a panic attack. You must try to breath. I will return shortly." She rushed to the main doors of his rooms and asked a guard to call for a healer and for water to be brought to the room. When she returned the prince was looking worse for wear. He looked as if he would pass out at any moment, his lips were taking on a blue hue from the lack of oxygen and his skin had turn ashen. He broke into a cold sweat as he lay there struggling. She wondered what could have happened to make the lord have such a reaction. She'd never seen nor heard of such a state among shiroinu. When the healer arrived, she rushed to inform her lord of his state.

Sesshomaru had heard that Inuyasha was once again confining himself to his rooms and hadn't left for 3 days. His little brother was very troublesome. At least he would be safer if he went into heat there. He set the quill in his hands down, looking straight ahead. The only thing that'd been occupying his thoughts was his younger brother. What a foolish younger brother he was. A knock at the door sounded, "Enter." Sesshomaru stated.

"My lord, the ones from the future are requesting use of the solar room." The servant announced with a bow. "They said it was important that you and the prince are present as well."

Sesshomaru set his work aside and motioned for Makoto to clean and organize. "Granted. Send Hikari to inform the prince."

"Right away milord." The servant bowed and went on his way. Sesshomaru wondered what they would need the room for. It was for high profile killers that could lie to him. It dawned on him when he realized the extra uses of the room.

A sharp and rather rude knocking at the door drew their attention quickly. "Enter."

Hikari rushed in with a sharp formal bow, "The prince has fallen quite ill milord. He is in his rooms and a healer has arrived and is treating him."

Sesshomaru stood quickly and sped to Inuyasha's rooms. How could he have fallen ill? The hanyou had never been sick a day in his life from what he understood. He could understand why Hikari was worried, youkai very rarely became ill and usually it was life threatening. When he arrived, Inuyasha lay passed out to the point where not even his sensitive ears flicked with trained attention on the room. He looked awful. "What is wrong with him?"

"Milord…might I be frank?" The healer asked. Sesshomaru nodded, "There are many things but I'm not sure what is good and what is bad."

"Elaborate."

"If he was a youkai, his fluctuating energy would be a cause for concern. However, he is only a half-demon and within a maturity period. I'm not sure what is normal and what isn't…had I been able to examine him as he grew, I would know more but I'm stuck. Any youkai would succumb to the severe fluctuations he is having and quickly perish from this world, but he is holding on, tightly. If he were human, then this fever would have fried his brain by now." The healer took a deep breath, "His heat is approaching…and this is his first heat…there is a chance he might not survive…but we can see he will because of his future self. I only wish he wouldn't have to suffer."

"What happened to lead him to this state?" Sesshomaru asked angrily. He'd been fine a few days ago.

"Stress could affect his heat…however from what I gather, the prince hasn't been under any stress as of late." The healer assessed.

Sesshomaru wanted to tear his older self to shreds. Inuyasha was having a hard-enough time being here without being consistently tested. Sesshomaru couldn't believe he became such a being. The last thing he'd want to do was cause Inuyasha undue stress, especially during such a critical time. The lord stormed from the room and towards where the others were staying. When he spotted himself, he only paused when he saw the older Inuyasha kneeled over a bucket and losing his stomach contents. A servant offered water. "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you." He heard streaming from the half-demon's mouth before he vomited again and repeated the process.

"I understand Inuyasha." Sesshomaru said with a small smirk.

"You knew this was going to happen you bastard." Inuyasha growled, shaking him off." Inuyasha took the water and swished it around before spitting it in the bucket.

"What do you need little me." The older Sesshomaru asked.

"I need to talk to you about Inuyasha." He said through grit teeth.

"He's ill currently correct? He'll be fine." Sesshomaru responded.

"Stay away from him." The younger said before turning to leave.

"Or what?" The older Sesshomaru wanted to face palm at his own arrogance. As if his younger self could defeat him.

"There is no reason for you to be filling his head with nonsense and stressing him out. He is ill because of you." He stopped and growled.

"He is ill because he is a half-demon and if either of us is causing him stress it is you. Not I. Inuyasha is completely comfortable with me after all." Sessh9omaru chuckled, "Comfortable enough that he comes for me, in more ways than one." The younger snarled in anger. How dare he? He had no right to toy with Inuyasha as he was.

"Who are you jealous of!? You're the same fucking person!" The older Sesshomaru felt his Inuyasha grab his clothing as he vomited again, "Goddamnit…do you really gotta compare dicks right now? I'm dying."

Sesshomaru wanted to snap, he clenched his fist and his teeth before asking. "What does his half-demon status have to do with his illness?"

With his head over the bucket the other Inuyasha answered, "Just go see…clear the wing of the castle…. don't let anyone near…at all Sesshomaru…not until the morning…"

"What do you mean?"

"Just fucking go…!" He vomited again, "Kami just kill me already."

Sesshomaru growled but returned to the family wing of the castle and did as the older Inuyasha stated. He sat at Inuyasha's beside and waited. Inuyasha had been cleaned and now rested more peacefully than before. This annoying younger brother of his had been difficult from beginning to end, he wondered what he was waiting for.


	13. Chapter 13

Sesshomaru watched as the sunset and dinner passed in the silence of the room where he could only hear Inuyasha's breathing and heartbeat. His eyes found the form of his younger brother, who lay sleeping peacefully. He was a patient being, of that there was no doubt, but when it concerned Inuyasha, it was frustrating. He wanted to sigh in the silence of the room. He looked around, seeing the crystal still sitting where he'd left it, untouched. He was sure Inuyasha would be curious about it, maybe he was apprehensive, or didn't know what it was. How could he? Where would he have come across youki technology while wandering the wilds. Even the youkai he came across were too low in society to come across such things.

While Sesshomaru was lost in his thoughts, Inuyasha began to stir as if uncomfortable. Within seconds of his first movement, Inuyasha shot up suddenly and looked around. The look of terror on his face when he saw the lord was unnerving. Was it really so uncomfortable to be around him versus his older self? "Inuyasha, calm yourself." He spoke, his voice seeming to shock the hanyou even more. Inuyasha clenched his stomach before rushing to the balcony. "It can't be now!" Sesshomaru shot over to stop him from jumping from the balcony.

"Calm yourself. You are not well." Sesshomaru restrained him as best he could with his missing appendage.

"Let me go! No one can-!" Inuyasha stopped speaking and his eyes went wide when he felt a familiar pain rush through his body. It hurt more than it usually did and the frustrated pained growl that left him was his sign that he would die soon. Why did Sesshomaru have to be here? Why this Sesshomaru?

Sesshomaru felt Inuyasha's youki begin to flex and groan. He thought Inuyasha would fall ill again at any moment. He pulled him away from the balcony and back within the confines of his bedroom. "Inuyasha, you must calm down, you will make yourself ill ag-!" Sesshomaru watched Inuyasha glow in a stupor, similar to when he used his youki to travel. His snow-white hair became inky and black, his ears disappeared, and his claws receded. "What is this…?" He asked in astonishment as Inuyasha's youkai also receded. If felt like Inuyasha had simply disappeared and left a stranger in his place.

"No no no!" He struggled against the grip Sesshomaru had on him, but with his human strength it was pointless. "Let me go!" He shouted. The only thing that made him pause in his frightful struggle was the very visible look of utter disbelief on Sesshomaru's cold face. Sesshomaru released him suddenly, causing him to fall with the force of trying to escape. His look of disbelief began morphing before Inuyasha's very eyes, disbelief, to shock, to a look akin to worry, then anger. He knew that look very well.

"How...?" Sesshomaru mumbled as he took Inuyasha in. Sesshomaru began to approach the guarded and very human Inuyasha. Unable to wield Tetsuaiga, Inuyasha tried to be sure of his escape routes. The last thing he wanted was for the whole of the castle to know his secret, but more than that he didn't want Sesshomaru to know.

Before his human senses could register the lord having moved, Sesshomaru had him pinned against a wall. "How are you still alive!?" The lord couldn't believe his younger brother had survived with such a handicap. "He is ill because he is a half-demon." He remembered his older self's word. Hanyou had to live with such a condition? He couldn't help but wonder how often this happened to his younger brother. How close to death had Inuyasha come? With this weakness, for him to have survived so long in the world, without even him learning of this weakness was nothing short of astonishing. "How Inuyasha?" He asked, feeling those same feelings of guilt begin to eat away at him, as he stared at Inuyasha it made him angrier than he'd ever felt in a long time. "How could anyone survive with a weakness like this!?" It was hard for Sesshomaru to understand, "How!?" He near shouted at the scowling human. The lord released Inuyasha and released the deep breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "I don't understand how you could have survived for this long. Any other…would perish so quickly." Sesshomaru was trying to make it make sense in his head.

"They do." Inuyasha growled as best as he could with his human form. His heart was beating very rapidly as he scrambled away from the dangerous lord, who now sat on the floor trying to process the type of perseverance and drive one would need to survive with such a condition.

"…how often…does this happen to you?" Sesshomaru asked quietly. Trying to think of how to protect Inuyasha and what precautions would need to be taken should others come visit the palace.

Inuyasha had a dark look in his eyes, "I'd rather die than ever tell you." He spoke through grit teeth.

"Do not be a stubborn fool Inuyasha." Sesshomaru growled, "You will need to attend ceremonies if you are present in this palace. Or do you wish for innocents to be swept up in an avoidable war because your absence was taken as a slight!"

"Don't fucking worry about it bastard 'cause I'm leavin' anyway." Inuyasha said by his place at the door. Willing to run if necessary.

"Hashira no Goro." Sesshomaru spoke quietly.

"What are yo-!" Inuyasha shouted as he became even more guarded.

A Hashira male appeared and bowed. "How long have you known?"

"The first time it occurred." He answered. Sesshomaru was no fool. He couldn't exactly order the Hashira not to serve Inuyasha. The loyalty of the Hashira was tied to their blood, which is why shiroinu typically interbred.

"How many Hashira know?"

"Only the upper echelon." He turned to the guarded Inuyasha. "You have grown quite well milord. Rest assured; I've known since you were nothing more than a babe suckling at your mother's teat. You need not worry about your safety whilst in the west."

That didn't calm his worries in the slightest. "So, if you know why doesn't the ice prick know?" Inuyasha asked. He didn't know what was up with the Hashira. He only found them creepy. Even Hikari was off putting at times.

"We Hashira have no capabilities to tell the secrets of the ones we serve, even to another. Had we even thought to inform Lord Sesshomaru, we would perish before the words left our mouths." He took a few steps away from the human in hopes that it would ease the tension he sensed. "We serve the shiroinu bloodline and nothing else. We are not loyal to Lord Sesshomaru but to the blood you both carry. The amount you carry means nothing to us." He hoped the statements would help Inuyasha feel more at ease.

"How am I supposed to believe that?" Inuyasha said, his grip on Tetsuaiga tightening with every moment.

The older man only smiled. The pup reminded him of Touga. "Milord, will you call Sakae." He said to Sesshomaru.

"Hashira no Sakae." Sesshomaru called.

A woman appeared and Inuyasha's eyes widened exponentially looking at the familiar woman. She bowed to them both and smiled warmly at Inuyasha. "It is nice to see you once again Little Prince."

"You were…my mom's friend…." Inuyasha spoke, surprised at seeing the woman he'd forgotten about.

"I am very flattered that you remember me my prince." She bowed once again. "Your mother was truly a lovely woman."

"I always thought…you were human…." Inuyasha said quietly…before a very old memory surfaced. One of the last times Sakae visited. When his mother was old and grey.

"My prince…throughout your life. It may have seemed like you were alone, but you were never truly alone when in these lands. We Hashira, have always been there, watching. Unfortunately, when you left the west…we could not follow." She frowned. Inuyasha began to think of his childhood. It wasn't so awful being out on his own until a certain point. That's when the hell started. It was a few seasons after his mother died. There were periods of time that were easier than others but most of it was horrific. "We are unable to appear directly in front of you unless you are in danger, or we're ordered, but it was nothing to fell a hungry beast in your vicinity or to leave a deer in your path."

She and Goro bowed to him once again, "It always brought us joy to see you return to the west periodically. Knowing you were alive and well eased our souls."

Sakae continued to stare at him with the unnerving look of the Hashira, Inuyasha noted that their eyes were so black it didn't even look like they had pupils. "No one, and nothing will harm you during your moment of weakness whilst within these walls. During this time, those of the upper echelon look after you and will come when you call for Hashira."

"Is there anything you need from us my prince." Goro asked with a soft smile. Inuyasha wanted to ask more questions about Hashira in general, but with Sesshomaru here he was more worried about his own safety. The lord was still sitting on the floor looking at the ground, seemingly deep in thought and Goro noticed his look. "You need not concern yourself with Lord Sesshomaru. I'm sure he is quite shocked to learn about this, as anyone would be. You and I both know what happens to hanyou when this secret is learned." Goro observed the lord as he sat still as stone before turning back to Inuyasha. "Perhaps your companions will help you feel more at ease. I'll go retrieve them." Goro faded quickly, leaving the three in the room alone.

Sakae had begun to admire the painting of Izayoi in the silence of the room before she looked at the guarded Inuyasha with a smile. "In your human form, you resemble her quite a bit little prince." Sakae approached the painting slowly, taking in the details. "She is the only human I've ever come to know. It was quite easy to see why Touga fell for her. Of human and youkai, she was, without a doubt, a rare gem."

"Get rid of them all when you are finished here Sakae." Sesshomaru spoke suddenly.

"Milord?" She questioned.

"All nobles, servants, advisers, who showed even a hint of displeasure with the shiroinu of the west. Perhaps the Hashira should replace all the servants in the castle." Sesshomaru considered. Inuyasha looked between them with his grip on Tetsuaiga tightening when Sesshomaru stood.

"I will do as you command milord, but would that not spark the interest of others as to the why?" Sakae questioned. Hashira could only question the words of those they served if it affected the safety of another.

"Then what do you suggest? You and I both know of the treachery that lies within these walls. How they attempted to overthrow me. If someone catches wind of this, there is no doubt assassins would be sent left and right." Sesshomaru was still rolling the possibilities through his head. How had the older managed to keep the reckless hanyou alive?

"I understand milord, but perhaps you are doubting lord Inuyasha's skills. He is more than capable of keeping himself physically safe, but perhaps that is not what worries you." Sakae considered his words, "To my understanding, perhaps you are worried about someone taking advantage of his naivety to youkai politics. Or choosing to blackmail him because of such a weakness. Perhaps to use him against the west." Sakae tilted her head in question, "Am I to assume you'll be informing him of his power within the west?"

"Yes."

"And what would stop him from overthrowing you milord?" She asked with a hint of a laugh.

Sesshomaru looked at the quietly observing Inuyasha. This was probably the quietest he'd seen his little brother aside from when he was sleeping. "He can try." He said with a snort of laughter, shocking the now human half-demon. He'd only seen the older laugh, so this was unnerving.

()()()()()()()()()()

Over the past few days, the gang had been a bit miserable. It was hard for them to deal with being around so many hostile youkai. Miroku sat in a chair trying to meditate the time away. He'd informed the others that Inuyasha was planning to continue traveling with them and that they would leave soon. He also informed them that Inuyasha was going through a lot right now and they needed to be patient. However, he could understand why they were restless. Kagome sighed heavily as she studied her books. That was the only good thing about being stuck in the fortress of the west. She'd already caught up to where her class was and was now even studying beyond that. "If I'd known we'd be here for so long I would've just gone home instead." She mumbled as she began o watch Sango polish her weapon.

"I think it's good for Inuyasha to be here, in his fathers' home. We don't really know that much about him." Sango stated from where she sat.

"What do you mean? We've known Inuyasha for like, forever." Kagome questioned, closing her books and putting them away.

"Well. Inuyasha doesn't really tell us anything. He doesn't like talking about his past right? We know about Kikyo, but we don't know anything from before that. Like, what his life was like before meeting her. He never told us." Sango explained, maybe the other two knew more than she did because they'd been travelling together for longer, but she was unsure. She could call herself Inuyasha's companion, but she wasn't sure how good of friends they were.

"There are somethings I'm sure he doesn't feel comfortable telling us. A man must have his secrets." Miroku added from where he was. "It's what makes him so mysterious." He said with a cheeky grin. "Shall we go to the garden for some fresh air?" He suggested as he stood. As they entered the garden Sango's eyes found the sky. She then looked at her companions, they understood the look but none of them said a word, lest prying ears heard them.

"I wonder how Shippo's doing." Kagome thought about the kit who would run off and explore before coming back and telling them about his adventures. According to him the palace was gigantic. He'd also caught wind that the servants and guards thought the humans were slaves or pets of some kind. Similar to how they saw Rin. In their eyes they couldn't understand why a lord would be interested I such weak beings, but apparently some had a change of heart towards Miroku who they assumed was a companion or bed slave of sorts. When Shippo informed them of this Sango couldn't help her laughter at the embarrassed blush that took over the monk's features. Even now she would find herself giggling about it here and there.

Other than that, a few kitsune guards and servants had taken the small kit under their wing and were teaching him various things and recommending that he simply go to the kitsune school to learn more. Shippo forgot how nice it felt to be surrounded by his own kind. Sure, lower level youkai were terrifying because they saw him as a meal, but higher-level youkai simply saw him as a small child. He was given several treats as he wandered through the palace. He really liked the western palace and wanted to stay even longer.

As the day wore on and the group began to settle for the night a sharp knock at the door stopped them. A large man, with blank black eyes entered and informed them that Inuyasha wanted their presence. He then began to lead them down the long halls and corridors towards his room. They tried to ask him questions about Inuyasha's health, but he didn't even acknowledge them. Kagome thought the servants and guards were very rude, but this was beyond rude and it was beginning to upset her. She hated being in such a hostile environment and wished there were a human village nearby.

Eventually they stopped trying to speak to the stoic man who continued his pace. When they arrived, he knocked before opening the door and entering with them behind him. Needless to say, the situation they found Inuyasha in was less than desired. They rushed to his side and glared at Sesshomaru as well. "Inuyasha are you okay?" Kagome asked, wishing she hadn't left her bow in the room. Sango never walked around the castle without her weapon and Miroku always carried his staff. She'd forgotten the night of the new moon when she was woken suddenly from her half sleep state.

"Hashira dismissed." The two bowed to Sesshomaru and Inuyasha before fading. Sesshomaru approached the door Inuyasha and his friends were crouched around. Miroku gripping the beads on his hand and Sango's hand twitching towards her own weapon. "Surely you aren't so foolish as to attack me in my own home." This made them pale a bit. They scramble out of his way, but he stopped at the door, looking down at Inuyasha. "Call the Hashira if anything seems amiss, or you would like something." His eyes then found the crystal and Inuyasha's eyes flashed in that direction. Sesshomaru then exited the room and continued out of his rooms. "Hashira." Several elites appeared, "Guard his room. None who do not share my blood are allowed in under any circumstances."

"Understood." Two remained at the doors, while two more went to his balcony and a few more began to patrol the halls and the prince's garden.

Satisfied, Sesshomaru went to retire to his own rooms. He passed two of the children on his way. They gave him a respectful bow and cheery smiles as they continued in the direction of Inuyasha's room with a large basket. He wondered what they were doing for a moment before continuing on his way.

The two young girls held hands as they skipped through the palace towards their younger father. Sairin balanced the basket on her head which would cause her younger sister to giggle every now and then. When they arrived at the doors, there were two unfamiliar Hashira standing guard. One couldn't contain his smile at the wide-eyed look the youngest was giving him. "Hello future princesses, may I be of assistance."

"Package!" Kiki chirped.

The two looked at the basket, "Important!" She said while pointing towards it.

Her sister only laughed, "We have something for little daddy. Kiki you should knock." The younger did as her sister suggested. It was silent for a time but soon a head peeked out. It was Sango. She debated letting the little girls in but Sairin only gave a bored look before speaking, "We already know. Move." When Sango didn't budge the Hashira turned to face her, hands on weapons, waiting to see if the woman would continue to defy the princess. Sango moved and the little girls scurried pass. The Hashira returned to their positions and listened intently.

The young girls ran into the bedroom, finding their dad quickly. "Hi little daddy!" Sairin said happily. The two began to crawl over him happily hugging him tightly.

"What are you two doing here?" He asked incredulously.

"I wanna protect little daddy!" Kiki said happily snuggling into him. "Secret night, shhhhhh" She said holding her finger up to her lips.

Inuyasha couldn't help how this made him feel. He felt stupidly warm inside and couldn't help but hug them tightly. His older self was lucky. "A note for little daddy. From papa and daddy." Sairin handed him a letter from the basket and noted the smell of food coming from it. The little girls began pulling him into his dining room and setting the food out.

Inuyasha could see grilled fish and a variety of other things. He looked at the letter. "You are safe here Inuyasha. You can relax, you'll be fine. No one can harm you within these walls. Send them back with Hashira if they fall asleep."

"Daddy's favorites!" Kiki said happily, grabbing a bit of food and nibbling. The humans were watching with surprise. Inuyasha sat in the chair they pulled him to and couldn't help the smile as they tried to feed him various things.

When the food was finished, everyone was sitting in Inuyasha's bedroom once again. The two little girls who were so determined to stay awake the entire night were asleep while cuddled in Inuyasha's embrace. "Hashira." Inuyasha stated. Quite a few appeared startling the human occupants. He handed the girls off and they bowed and vanished again. Inuyasha let out a harsh sigh when they were gone, and he was alone with his group. He wondered what types of questions they were gearing up to ask him. Looking at the fire he waited.

Sango looked towards the sky from the window, it wouldn't be much longer. Being with the children had made the time move a lot quicker. "Inuyasha, how long do you want to stay here?" Sango asked after a moment. She wanted to get back on the road and hunting Naraku.

"I don't know." Inuyasha said.

Sango knew she couldn't understand what Inuyasha was going through, "Would it be best to wait until after your heat?"

Inuyasha looked at her, but to Sango his eyes were a bit distant, "I don't know."

"Inuyasha, why won't you just tell us what's going on?" Kagome asked. Ever since the ones from the supposed future arrived, things had been very weird. Inuyasha had been very weird. He didn't answer her and that made her feel even more frustrated. "Inuyasha you always do this!"

This in turn began to agitate Inuyasha, "What the fuck do you want me to tell you!? I don't fucking know Kagome, okay!? I want to leave but I just fucking can't!" He didn't have the time nor patience to put up with her drama.

"Inuyasha, what do you mean you can't?" Miroku asked, stopping Kagome from escalating.

"I don't know." Inuyasha mumbled. Miroku took in the human Inuyasha as he sat staring at the fire with a frown. "I don't know if I want to…"

Miroku took a seat next to him, "It's just a lot easier here than you thought it'd be then? I don't blame you. To have people bow when they see me and treating me with a revered respect would be nice, and really easy to get used to. Not having to fight demons every day or hunt for food to survive." Miroku had made his own assumptions on how Inuyasha must've had to live his life before meeting Kikyo. Inuyasha said nothing and continued to silently stare.

"Yeah…" Inuyasha said quietly.

Miroku patted Inuyasha on the back, "No one can blame you if you decide to stay here Inuyasha. Even if you want to stay locked up in this room for the rest of eternity." This got a snort of laughter from the half-demon. "But I'm sure, even if you leave, you can always come back."

"What about Naraku?" Kagome questioned, "And the sacred jewel!?" If Inuyasha stayed here, where would that leave the rest of them?

"I know Kagome okay!? I fucking know!" Inuyasha growled as best as he could. He stood and headed out of his bedroom but stopped when he saw the crystal Sesshomaru had left all that time ago. He hesitantly picked it up and examined it, taking it with him as he went into his sitting room. There was a nice fire going in there as well and every so often a Hashira would appear and maintain it. He sat on a sofa near the fire, stretching his feet out and warming them with the warm glow. Everything in the western palace was very odd and foreign, and he was informed that it was because most of the furniture was imported from far in the west.

"You might enjoy being here, but we aren't! I want to leave!" Kagome exclaimed following him out.

"Then leave!" Inuyasha shouted back at her. "I didn't want you here in the first place so fucking go!" The half-demon clicked his tongue and began to fiddle with the crystal while she started to go on a frustrated tangent. Miroku sighed and Sango tried to get her to calm down as it wasn't helping anyone.

The room went silent when a new voice sounded in the room. "Inuyasha…my Inuyasha." The voice was strong and youthful. "My cute baby… I love you so much…I only wish the world would love you as I do…as your father did. I love you Inuyasha." Inuyasha felt his hand begin to tremble. His eyes found his mother's portrait. His stomach began to cramp and clench into a tightness that was only painful. He stood looking at the painting in shock.

"…how…?" He muttered breathlessly.

"You're doing it again! You didn't even want to come here in the first place and now you want to stay? What happened to hating Sesshomaru!? What about when he shoved his hand through you Inuyasha!? He wasn't there to pick up the pieces, we were! And now you're turning your back on us for what!?" It felt like Inuyasha was abandoning them again. "What makes this place so different from the rest of this feudal world!?" Kagome approached the human Inuyasha, he only gave her an annoyed look.

"Why the fuck should I have to answer your questions? I don't have to tell you shit. Who the hell are you to me? The reincarnation of the bitch who tried to kill me." Inuyasha said between clenched teeth. The last thing he wanted right now was to hear anyone's voice.

His head jerked to the side sharply, with the force that Kagome had slapped him with. "Sorry for giving a damn about you even after all of this!" Inuyasha gave her a glare that could rival anyone's. "Sesshomaru has to be messing with your head again! Just like with the unmother! For all we know it could be Naraku manipulating him as well!" The crystal was slapped from his hands suddenly and made its way into the fire where it crackled for a moment before a large explosion was heard. Sending them flying across the room. Fire began to spread across the room quickly. Anything remotely flammable began to burn. Inuyasha tried to recover better in his human form but fell to his knees when he saw his mother's painting.

Hashira appeared suddenly and began to put the fires out. Inuyasha was blankly staring at his mother's ruin painting. The room was silent aside from the moving Hashira and Sango checking on Kagome who landed on a side table, breaking it. "Every time…" Inuyasha whispered from where he sat. "Every single fucking time…" Inuyasha began to laugh then. However, it wasn't one of joy. It was dry and hysterical. He suddenly clutched at his chest and kneeled over. They felt a pulse of youki in the room. Sango and Miroku looked out of the window to see the sky beginning to lighten.

Inuyasha's hair returned to its original color, and the rest of his body follow suit. The only difference was the markings on his face and the ruby red color of his eyes. He slowly stood up. The humans in the room became guarded while the Hashira continued working. Everything stilled and Miroku's eyes widened with a moment of realization. He thought back to the older Inuyasha and realized they'd had the same reaction then. He paused and tried to compose himself before approaching Inuyasha. "Kagome…you're out of line. Regardless of how much it may suck for us being here, I'm fine with putting up with it if it's what Inuyasha wants." He couldn't help thinking about all the hostilities that would be shown to Inuyasha when they stayed in a human village and then all the sacrifices Inuyasha had always made for them. What really threw him for a loop was when he realized that Inuyasha was technically very young in youkai society. For humans he was older than normal, but for youkai he'd barely lived. "He didn't want us to come in the first place and we have no right to complain." Miroku's hand found Inuyasha's shoulder. Only then did he notice how Inuyasha trembled in his anger.

"Inuyasha…that painting. Who was it?" Sango asked quietly from where she stood. Following Miroku's lead.

They could see him clench his fists until his blood began to drip onto the floor. That's when the Hashira stopped moving and the room truly became silent. They were watching, eyes blank and pitch black. "Every fucking time I have something I like something that makes my shitty life better someone always FUCKING RUINS IT!" He shouted angrily. "My mom because of her shitty relatives." He growled, "Sesshomaru ruined my fucking life. Kikyo because of Naraku." Miroku could tell Inuyasha was struggling to maintain his control. "And now this…when I never thought I'd see her face again…when I never thought I'd hear her voice again!" Inuyasha turned towards Kagome and shouted, "And you had to fucking ruin it!" The room shook with the force of his unrestrained youki and he flexed his claws.

Miroku realized what was about to happen before anyone else, he tried to grab Inuyasha, "Inuyasha she didn't do it on purpose. It was an accident!" Inuyasha threw him with his inhuman strength.

"I don't fucking care!" He wanted her blood. He couldn't understand why before but now he did. She deserved to die, just like Naraku, just like his mother's relatives, and just like Sesshomaru. They should all die. His youkai clouded his thoughts and began pushing him away.

"What about what we talked about Inuyasha!?" Miroku shouted as he rose. "What about avoiding our faith together!?" Inuyasha could no longer hear him.

"Inuyasha I don't want to hurt you." Sango said, looking at the Hashira who looked ready to attack her as well. "Kagome…run." Kagome was closest to the door and grabbed the handle, running as quickly as she could. She hadn't meant to. She didn't think when she slapped the crystal from his hands and would never have ruined the painting or crystal on purpose. She never thought it would escalate to this, back to before, when Inuyasha tried to kill her for the sacred jewel.


	14. Chapter 14

Kagome took off as quickly as her legs would take her. Behind her Sango prepared to defend against all the youkai in the room. When Inuyasha charged after her the youkai came too. She had no choice but to leave the room and try and bar the door. One of the demons appeared behind her and she blocked his attack with her hiraikotsu. He looked positively stunned but the door flung open and she was attacked from all sides. Many were surprised at the skill of the human woman who was holding her own against them. "Inuyasha we're friends! I don't want to fight you!" She shouted.

Inuyasha, having the most knowledge about her grabbed the weapon, then her and threw her harshly into a wall. "Then stay out of my way." There was something wrong with-it voice. It was gravelly and full of venom and killing intent. Inuyasha took off down the hall after Kagome. Miroku came out a moment later, limping from an injury on his leg.

"We have to stop him! He said he didn't want to kill her, but I think his youkai is pushing him!" Miroku tried to start after him but the Hashira stood around them blankly. Miroku wanted to let out a frustrated shout, "We aren't going to attack him! We just can't let him do this….it might hurt him more later."

Goro was among those in a circle. They hadn't been ordered to stop them so there was no reason for them to be here. He made a gesture and they moved from their path. Kilala transformed and Miroku and Sango hopped on going after them. "Thank you!" He shouted as they went off. "The castle is much livelier." Goro thought to himself.

Kagome didn't know where she was going but she needed to get away from Inuyasha. He'd changed. She felt tears begin to stream down her face as she tried to escape him. She never thought she'd be in this situation again after all this time. She heard a growl behind her. "Come this way stupid girl." She felt a hand grab her and cover her mouth while pulling her in a different direction. He didn't know why but his dad wanted the dumb bitch alive. Kagome looked back to see Arashi behind her and pulling her into the wall. He'd heard his dad talking to his father about her, about how he or his sister might die if she died, how he wanted to change it but didn't know if he could because of how much was going on. They ran through the walls of the castle until they came out of a different side. If their dad calmed down some, maybe he would come into his senses, which is why he employed his younger sister's assistance.

Did their dad know what they were doing? No, not in the slightest. He only hoped it would help, as they never mentioned him before to his knowledge. He was waiting for that change in his brain, the one that made him feel like certain things didn't happen, but they did. It'd only happened once, and the things that changed were parts of their parents' story about what happened in the past. Like him being nice to the young Shippo. He held a lot of animosity towards Shippo but decided to be kind. His parents didn't remember what he really did. What Shippo had said to him when he was younger was different now. What he remembered about his older brother was different, and anything else was slowly fading as if it was never there in the first place. The two left the wall in a new room. One just as extravagant as Inuyasha's. There was a large bed and Kagome nearly wet herself when she realized she was being stared at by a half-naked Sesshomaru.

"Little papa help!" Arashi stated approaching him without a care, dragging the reluctant Kagome towards the dangerous demon. "Little daddy's gonna kill her but dad doesn't think he should. Can you stop him?"

"Why should I care if Inuyasha wants to kill that wench." Sesshomaru stated coldly. Annoyed that a human was in his chambers. He wanted to slice her eyes out.

"Please…it could save my or my sister life. My dad wants to change it, but he doesn't think it will…and he's not going to interfere."

"It sounds as if he's made his decision. Who am I to interfere?" Sesshomaru said glaring at the boy and Kagome.

"You're our father!" Arashi shouted. "I don't want to die! And I don't want my baby sister to die!"

"So why are the others not doing something about it." Sesshomaru asked, "Seems as though nothing will happen. Leave."

"…I hate you…" Arashi said after a moment, before pulling the girl from the room. "Why'd you have to piss my dad off you idiot girl." Kagome was breathing heavily as she was dragged across the castle.

One the other side of the castle Inuyasha was furious. He'd lost her scent in this hall and she wasn't in any of the various rooms. He growled angrily; it was enough to shake the walls with the force of this youki. All youkai in the vicinity avoided the angry prince and bowed and looked away when he saw them. Inuyasha heard a quiet whimper. His head whipped around to see the smallest pup tearfully pulling at her dress. The fully youki hanyou tilted his head. This was his daughter; he felt his anger dampen a bit as she approached him with her arms stretched up. Without much thought he lifted her into his arms and began to move again. He would kill that girl before the day was over and he would kill anyone who stood in his way. Then he would seek out his intended mate. The thoughts made him smile. He rubbed the girl's back as she cried. Kissed and licking her cheek to comfort the puppy. She only continued to whine for his attention. Soon he made it to his target destination. He should leave her with his future mate while he did away with the human girl.

Inuyasha entered the room and looked around. The occupants were looking at him in shock. Sesshomaru looked at him before looking at the older who didn't remember coming here. Inuyasha set the girl down who went to hug her father before turning around and running off quickly. "Why did I come here?" Inuyasha asked in shock. That's when Sesshomaru groaned a bit, and Inuyasha felt his own memories begin to shift. "We have to stop him!" Inuyasha stood quickly, "Hashira take care of the kids!" He shouted as he and Sesshomaru took off after his younger self. Arashi was going to get hurt being so reckless.

()()()()()()()()()()

Sesshomaru was still lying in his room listening to what was happening in his home. If Inuyasha wanted to kill the girl, why should he stop him? It was none of his business. He thought about how protective Inuyasha was over the girl and the stark change in their relationship up to this point. How could the life of a mere mortal be so important? Inuyasha was just like their foolish father. He stood. He was only going to make sure Inuyasha didn't ruin something when he splattered the girl across the floor. "Hashira no Goro." Goro appeared quickly and bowed. "What happened."

Goro began to explain the situation quickly as Sesshomaru dressed. "Foolish younger brother." Sesshomaru followed the scent of his child and the girl towards the castle gates, but he wasn't the only one who caught their scents. Inuyasha was hot on their tail as they ran, Miroku and Sango were in the air when they spotted them. They could see Inuyasha darting from the castle in anger. "  
Kagome look out!" Miroku shouted.

Arashi saw his dad and pulled her sharply to the side to save her skin. Inuyasha's claws hit the air beside her. She couldn't understand why he'd become so much faster. She was shocked at how quickly he caught up to them. She was sure she was going to die now. "Move child!" Inuyasha growled angrily coming in and realizing that Arashi had quite a bit of combat skill. Arashi was blank as he put his annoying training to use. Soon he and Kagome were off once again. The one thing he was sure of was that his dad wouldn't hurt him. His youkai wouldn't let him. He could sense the powers of his parents just behind his pissed off younger dad as he carried the girl away. The trees weren't his friend, however. They were his dad's thing, especially when he was younger. They were stopped and Kagome was knocked from his arms, falling a ways to the ground. Inuyasha grabbed the pup, breaking his arm with the force of his anger, before throwing him as hard as he could into the forest. Arashi would have been sent through multiple trees in not for the Hashira stepping in and pulling him away from his angry dad for his own safety.

His parents caught up to them and immediately began to reprimand him for interfering. However, in the middle of what was going to be a long-winded lecture, he watched as his parent's eyes rolled back and they both passed out. The Hashira was with them quickly as they began to examine them. Arashi was anxious and completely worried about his parents. "Dad, father…wake up!" He began to panic.

Inuyasha had finally cornered the girl. She was looking at him with eyes wide with fear. The half-demon wanted to smirk. He liked that look. He wondered how he should break the girl. Maybe he should dismember her for all the disrespect she'd shown. Slam her into the ground a few times so she understood how it felt. The hanyou stopped. Looking down at the pale arm around his chest he looked behind him with a growl.

When Sesshomaru had caught up to Inuyasha it was very clear that he was not in his right mind. His youki was angry and lashed out at his surroundings and his eyes, while they held intelligence, were not Inuyasha's. A low, warning growl began deep in his chest. Ruby eyes found gold and the growl increased. Warning Sesshomaru that he should release him. Sesshomaru took in the forms of their older selves. This had become a complicated mess. "Do you truly wish to kill her Inuyasha?" The youkai Inuyasha only smiled at him. Sesshomaru hated this insane look on Inuyasha. "Recede." He ordered it, with a flare of his own power. Inuyasha shuddered as he was coated in the power of a strong alpha. He felt his legs get weak. His intended was powerful indeed, but he wouldn't recede until the girl was dead.

The grip on him tightened and Sesshomaru's warm breath was felt on his ears as he whispered, "Those things can be replaced…lives cannot. Are you so sure your other self will not regret this Inuyasha? I will not resurrect her should that be the case." It made Inuyasha waver for only a moment. It felt good to have such a powerful youkai holding him close like this. "Recede a bit and let the other answer." Sesshomaru was firm. Inuyasha only continued to stare at him before he felt his youki shudder. Inuyasha began growling as he fought against himself.

He broke free of Sesshomaru's arm and approached the crying girl. His claws began to glow with his power, but he stopped moving. Sesshomaru could hear him struggling. "…Se…sho..maru…" He heard the hanyou bite out. Inuyasha was posed to strike her as Hashira appeared. "St…op…me…" Sesshomaru could feel the severe fluctuations and he was on the hanyou in seconds.

With his youkai once again in full control, Inuyasha came at Sesshomaru who defended against him easily. Inuyasha as rapidly gaining power in his maturity period and the lord found himself surprised. Miroku and Sango landed, Miroku helped Kagome onto Kilala and she and Sango took off, away from the western palace as the battle between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru grew.

Sesshomaru wasn't attacking Inuyasha only defending against him and trying to grab him. Inuyasha seemed to become angrier and angrier with him. Sesshomaru was finally able to grab him but Inuyasha only began to claw at him. Sesshomaru pinned him down and looked down at the fully youkai Inuyasha. This part of Inuyasha was unnerving. Powerful, ruthless, but out of control. This was dangerous. He couldn't believe he mated his brother. He put pressure on him with his own youki, Inuyasha growled at him, snarling and trying to break free but even with one arm, Sesshomaru had him beat. He could feel the girl getting away and it made him angrier. He would kill the girl who disrespected him if it was the last thing he did.

"Inuyasha. Calm yourself." Sesshomaru spoke. It took a while, but eventually the youkai calmed down while maintaining its control. This was problematic. To have such a volatile youkai with this much power was dangerous. "Hashira." The Hashira joined them in the forest. "Go get Tetsuaiga." He ordered. "The rest are dismissed." Sesshomaru looked down at the observing youkai. He could barely make out his human blood. He leaned down to take in the scent a bit better but wasn't expecting the keening whine that came from his brother. He wasn't expecting Inuyasha's scent to change as pheromones were released into the air. Sesshomaru restrained his own youkai. He could feel Inuyasha begin to roll his hips and whine for attention. "Does this really have to happen now?" He thought to himself. The Hashira appeared a moment later with Tetsuaiga in tow. It was wrapped in a sheet and was handed to him as such. He unraveled the hilt, and while tempted to strike the younger over the head with it, he only touched it gently against his cheek.

The change was immediate and quite stark. Inuyasha was left on the ground, golden eyes restored, as he panted and tried to draw more breath. He felt hot. Too hot. "Take him to my rooms until his are repaired." The Hashira lifted Inuyasha into their arms and vanished. They wouldn't be affected by his heat as other youkai would. It was simply how they were bred. Sesshomaru went over to where their older selves remained passed out. "What is wrong with them?" He saw the oldest pup sitting at their side sniffling as tears streamed down his face.

"We are not sure milord."

Sesshomaru grimaced, "Take them to the healers' quarters. Call the mages. Find out what is wrong with them. Hashira are to look after the children and Hashira alone." Sesshomaru ordered. A healer came to take a look at the pup's arm and Sesshomaru wanted to sigh. They began leading the child away, but he turned and bowed before continuing.

()()()()()()()()()()

Inuyasha felt like he needed to take his skin off too. He was already naked, and his mind was cloudy. The Hashira had put him into a cold bath but it wasn't helping. Everything felt like pins and needles and his heart ached. He'd almost killed Kagome. Even thinking about her made him angry, but it wasn't in his character to just randomly kill people. Even though it was an accident…she'd destroyed something very precious to him. Something he wouldn't be getting back. Most would think his memories of his mother would fade with time but what they didn't know was that it was those memories that kept him going day after day. His mother and father gave him all they could, how could he die? How could he squander the gift they'd given him? He could feel how frigid the water was, but he still felt so damn hot. They brought him to Sesshomaru's room. It was very crisp and clean in these rooms. Nothing like what his rooms looked like. Sesshomaru's rooms were very simple. Beautiful of course, but simple. Tetsuaiga was at the edge of the bath and he kept his hands on it as he didn't want to lose himself again. He felt like he was melting.

His mind wandered to the older Sesshomaru. More specifically his body…and the way he would touch him. He thought about his words from before…about what Inuyasha wanted from the younger. Inuyasha still didn't know. The hanyou felt his cock throb in the freezing water. Being half youkai sucked ass. A Hashira came in with another bucket of ice, pouring it into the bath. "Why does this hurt so much?" He asked with a groan.

"You are handling it much better than lord Sesshomaru at your age." The woman spoke calmly.

"Yeah?" Inuyasha questioned, wondering what happened with Sesshomaru. "What happened? Are you allowed to tell me?"

The woman thought for a moment, "Yes. It will not bring harm to lord Sesshomaru so there is no issue with me telling you."

"Hashira dismissed." Was the angry growl from the door. Inuyasha couldn't smell well because of how his heat was clouding his senses so he hadn't smelt the lord.

The Hashira looked at lord Sesshomaru before looking at Inuyasha and smiling before winking and quickly whispering, "He cried and begged your father to kill him." And disappearing before Sesshomaru could claw at her.

"I hate Hashira like that." Sesshomaru growled under his breath. More specifically, he hated Hashira that showed their personality. Usually they were quite stoic, but the older ones mellowed with age and showed more of their personalities. Like Goro and Sakae. His eyes found his naked younger brother and he made it a point to breathe through his mouth. "How are you feeling Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha debated answering. Sesshomaru had just helped him out so…he could be civil for now. "Like I'm being burned alive."

"The first is always the worst. It should be over in a week or so." Sesshomaru thought about his own first heat. It was angry and he felt like he was on fire. He could only marvel at Inuyasha's resilience. Sesshomaru remembered his father binding his hands so he wouldn't harm himself. Sesshomaru wondered if it was only him who had to suffer like that whereas Inuyasha was only sweating and panting. Maybe it wasn't as intense because he was a half-demon.

Their attention was drawn to the main doors. He could hear fighting. He went into the sitting room. Then out the doors. There were quite a few youkais fighting with each other. Sesshomaru neglected to have a barrier set up to contain Inuyasha's scent. Sesshomaru angrily flared his youkai out letting everyone know that if there was going to be a fight for the youkai in heat, he would win. Youkai began to run away leaving the Hashira to switch out and go get treated. "Hashira, have a barrier set up. None other than I and the Hashira may enter it." Sesshomaru took a deep breath before reentering his rooms. Inuyasha was still in the bath, his eyes lulling close.

"Is there any way to make it stop sooner?" Inuyasha asked with a groan.

"There are tonics, but they are not without consequence. The heat will return eventually with a vengeance. You don't want that. The only other way is pregnancy, and I'm sure you don't want that either." Sesshomaru explained.

"Can the burning be stopped…?" Inuyasha asked. He didn't know much about heat other than it marked his sexual maturity. He knew it sucked though but he wasn't expecting this.

"The only way is with a partner." Sesshomaru sat on a stool next to the bath as Inuyasha began dozing off. The heat cycle took a lot of energy and he'd already expended so much so it was no wonder he was struggling to stay awake.

It was silent for a while before Inuyasha spoke again, "Did you really ask him to kill you?"

"It felt as if someone was slowly peeling my skin off and replacing it with hot coals." Sesshomaru explained.

"It doesn't feel that bad…maybe you were just being a bitch." Inuyasha chuckled in his sleepy heat dazed state. "Why didn't you just sleep with someone then? S'not like you're ugly." Sesshomaru felt a bit odd at Inuyasha's statement. "You're pretty attractive." Inuyasha said without a second thought as he looked at him. The lord felt a blush rise to his face. It was more embarrassing hearing such a thing from the hanyou. No one had even dreamed of saying something like that to him since he was a small child. Sesshomaru felt his youkai flip in a weird way. "Did that make you happy?" He wanted to ask it. His youkai pulsed with joy and Sesshomaru felt even more embarrassed by his reaction. Why did he care whether Inuyasha found him attractive or not?

"It's about the only nice thing about you." Inuyasha mumbled a second later. Losing his battle with his body as he caved to sleeping.

While probably the most comfortable in the cold bath, it wouldn't be good for him to remain in the bath. "Hashira." They appeared and Sesshomaru ordered them to dry and dress Inuyasha and he was allowed to sleep in the lord's bed for the time being. Sesshomaru sighed when he went to his office and was finally alone. He tried inhaling through his nose but he could only smell Inuyasha's pheromones which hardened his cock and made his youkai groan. He steeled himself. The only way he would touch Inuyasha is if the hanyou himself asked for it. Even though he saw it again…Inuyasha's potential.

()()()()()()()()()()

The older Inuyasha woke with a start in the healers' quarters. His eyes immediately found his sniffling son. "Arashi-shi are you okay?" He asked, getting out of the bed and welcoming his son into his embrace. Inuyasha had a massive headache and was having a hard time catching up in his head. He went to try and stop himself from harming Arashi and he blacked out. His younger self was too far gone to remember. Inuyasha looked over at his mate who he was surprised to see. "What happened?" He asked.

"I only wanted to help!" Arashi exclaimed. "You didn't want to kill that girl again…so I tried to help."

Inuyasha's eyes widened in shock, "I didn't want to kill who again?"

Arashi scowled at his dad. "That Kagome girl."

Arashi was starting to worry, "What are you talking about shishi? I never killed her, papa stopped me remember? I told you about that."

"No dad you did! You even told little daddy not to kill her! That means it changed right? Since you don't remember that? Can't you try and remember?" Arashi exclaimed. Inuyasha couldn't smell a lie from his son and looked over at his mate's body. Had something serious changed enough for them to pass out? "You and father said you killed her because she made you angry enough to murder her, and then she continued and then the human's nearly kill you too! You said that father helped you a lot when that happened and that's when you started staying in the castle. Before you and father went to kill Naraku together."

Inuyasha's eyes were wide that was not what he remembered in the slightest. It sounded familiar but in his own memories, he ended up ordering the Hashira to destroy well, locking Kagome in her own time before their future selves departed. He, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo went up against Naraku with support from Kouga and Sesshomaru. He had no recollection of what his son was talking about. He even remembered thinking of telling his younger self not to lock her in the well because she could be useful. It all made his head throb, and he was wondering why his mate wasn't waking. If what his son was telling him was the truth, it did nothing to save his daughter. He wanted to cry. So much had changed but he was still destined to lose his daughter. He pulled his son in again and hugged him tightly. He didn't know what he could do to save his daughter. He didn't want to see her die. Inuyasha felt his emotions begin to overwhelm him. He felt his eyes being to pour as he held on to his son tightly. "Dad?" Arashi had only seen his dad cry when he was pregnant, he wondered if this was that again.

"M'sorry puppy. M'so sorry." Inuyasha stroked his short hair. "I'm sorry I can't keep you all safe…I'm so sorry puppy." Arashi hugged his dad back. He felt his dad press a kiss on the top of his head.

The door opened and his other children came in. He tried to compose himself, but he was having a hard time. He hugged them close, giving his youngest a bit of special attention. How could he keep her safe? How could he save them all? Why couldn't it be him that died? He would take their place. He felt himself being to cry a bit harder as he held his tiny puppy. His daughters and son frowned up. "Daddy don't cry." Kiki said with a large frown as her eyes teared up and she began to cry too. His daughters began to cry as well and soon even his son couldn't hold back his tears. Seeing their dad cry was scaring them, why would their dad cry?

That's the mess Sesshomaru woke to. His sobbing mate holding his sobbing children. If he were an idiot, he would have thought he died or something. He didn't know what he should do but he stood and helped Inuyasha to a chair. The older children followed and were still crying. "Inuyasha, you have to calm down. The children are frightened."

Sesshomaru wasn't ready for his mate's next statement. Inuyasha looked at him, eyes full of tears, "I'm scared too." Inuyasha really began to sob then.

The lord realized it would take longer to calm his mate down if he was admitting his fear so openly. He started with the twins. "Everything is okay. Dad is just feeling a bit overwhelmed, okay? Sometimes adults get really frustrated too. You don't have to cry okay?" He said speaking softly to his daughters. He turned to the youngest who Inuyasha was still holding onto and rocking in tears. Kiki was now crying loudly and Sesshomaru had a ridiculously difficult time getting her from Inuyasha. "Kiki don't cry. Dad will be more sad if you cry too. Can you be strong for dad?" He asked her. Speaking more simply to her than he did with the older ones. She was still crying but she was sniffling and made a fist. "Stop crying puppy, show daddy you can be strong for him." His youngest was trying her hardest but she didn't have the trained control over her emotions like her siblings. She wouldn't start that training until she was 50 years old. "Pups, go with the Hashira and clean your faces. I'll stay with dad okay?"

His daughters nodded in unison. "Okay." Ever since their fight they hadn't been playing with each other and had fallen out of sync, maybe they would make up soon. He didn't want there to be any rifts between his children.

The young girls were led away by the Hashira and their son remained. "Arashi, everything's okay. You can go too."

Arashi nodded but paused, "A lot changed…I remember but dad doesn't…a lot changed but not what he wanted I think." Arashi explained before looking at his still sobbing dad and hugging him quickly before leaving the healers rooms. Sesshomaru pulled Inuyasha into his lap and hugged him tightly.

Inuyasha began to cry a little harder as he held onto Sesshomaru. "Why can't I take her place?" He sniffled, "Why can't it just be me?"

Sesshomaru didn't know what he could say. He thought about all the memories they'd been shown in the past. Watching how many times his son died, even though it hadn't happened this time, even thinking about those memories made his chest ache. It would always hurt more for the birth parent when that tie was severed. "I'm sorry mate. I know it hurts." It'd been so long since Inuyasha was this upset. Decades really. Yes, it could be his hormones overwhelming him, but it hurt every time he thought about losing one of his children, and for Inuyasha, who was so used to being the hero everyone needed. To not be able to save his own child was surely slowly tearing him apart.

Inuyasha cried in his arms for hours uninterrupted. Telling Sesshomaru about his fears and how responsible he felt for their children's deaths. No matter how he tried to handle the witch she always escaped and sent them to the past. When he was young, he even suggested that they not have children but then Sesshomaru was pregnant and their son was born. Then the twins and finally Kiki. No matter what they did. Inuyasha was just tired of it all. He wanted it to be solved. He wanted to take all of his children home and not have to bury one. His life was how he wanted it to be. An amazing mate and lovely children and now it was going to be taken away, like everything always was.

"Sesshomaru I don't know what to do!" He cried, eyes stinging from his own tears.

"We can do this Inuyasha…remember, even if we aren't the ones who figure it out. One of us will, and it'll be like it never happened in the first place." He tried to reassure him.

"I don't want her to suffer…" He whimpered. Sesshomaru sighed, thinking about how their youngest daughter was destined to die. The way she screamed for Inuyasha as it happened. He felt his own eyes sting.

"I can't only think to keep her away from the battle."

"But what if she gets trapped in the past?" Inuyasha questioned.

"Then Arashi will have an older sister…it's preferable to her dying Inuyasha. Is it not?" Sesshomaru felt Inuyasha tense up even more as he cried, he didn't want to leave his baby in the past, it was so dangerous here. "But what if it doesn't work…and she dies some other way?"

"Inuyasha…we should have faith in ourselves as the children do. As you said, it is our duty to keep them safe, so let's do everything we can…even if the outcome isn't what we wish for." Sesshomaru spoke softly to his overwhelmed mate. He hoped the pup or pups inside of his mate were doing okay with the amount of stress coursing through his body. "Let's speak to the healer and have the pup checked before retiring. A rest would do you well." Inuyasha said nothing and only nodded.

The healer confirmed the pup growing inside of Inuyasha to be healthy after Inuyasha finally calmed down. He walked with his mate to their rooms. The children were having lunch and they went into the bedroom, locking the door after them. Sesshomaru kissed his mate gently. Inuyasha exposed his neck submissively to his mate. He felt extremely needy and vulnerable right now and wanted his mate's complete attention. Soon clothing was being removed as they kissed and nipped. Everything about Sesshomaru's actions were gentle and deliberately slow. Inuyasha really appreciated his mates understanding of him. While he enjoyed their hot and rough sex, he also loved moments like this, and it's just what he wanted right now. Soon he was fully nude and Sesshomaru was on his knees in front of him, taking him into his mouth.

His mate was too good at this and he felt his mind begin to go blank. "Just like that mate." He slowly began to thrust down Sesshomaru's throat. Looking down at Sesshomaru's lustful face he couldn't help but think about how beautiful his mate was. All these years they'd spent together, he never got tire of seeing him. Sesshomaru pulled from him and directed him to the bed where he worshipped his body with his tongue. When he was finally encasing himself inside his mate, he felt his stress begin to melt away. With every slow but firm thrust his mate arched up a little. With a hand at the small of Inuyasha's back he pulled him closer, gently kissing him, trying to convey all of his love and devotion through their connection.

It wasn't long before Inuyasha was brought to a slow climax. Sesshomaru paused in his thrusting, turning the man to his hands and knees as he panted. In this position, he made sure to kiss Inuyasha's shoulders and his back lovingly. His mate moaned as he reentered his over stimulated body. Sesshomaru's heavy thrusting made his toes curl and hardened his cock. Sesshomaru sank his fangs into his mating mark, reestablishing their connection, as he sped up a bite. Inuyasha could feel his orgasm building again. Sesshomaru lapped at the blood that was drawn. "Inuyasha I'm going to cum." He informed, loving the way his mate tightened around him. Soon he spilled himself into his already pregnant mate. Inuyasha whimpered as Sesshomaru was coming down from his orgasmic high. He had Inuyasha on his back again, taking him in. What a beautiful sight the man made. He kissed his way down his body, intent on making the man orgasm a few more times before they went to sleep. Hoping that his mate's mind would remain clear of their worries until the morning.


	15. Chapter 15

The first three days of Inuyasha’s heat seemed almost tame compared to what it became later on. He was currently wrapped up in the too hot bed of the lord of the west. He wanted to be touched, he wanted the burning to stop. Every time he inhaled; he got a blast of Sesshomaru’s powerful scent. It was all over the room. Everything smelt of him and it was driving his youkai mad. He was currently curled around his Tetsuaiga to keep the beast at bay but, he wanted to pass out.

Hikari entered the room with a glass of cold water for him. Inuyasha felt weak and could barely drink it on his own. He was so uncomfortable. Miroku had been allowed to visit him once but wasn’t allowed to again until his heat was over. His pheromones had attached to the monk, causing him to almost be attacked by several youki who then began fighting each other over him. The only ones allowed in were Sesshomaru and the Hashira. Neither of which were good company.

Due to his dampening senses, he couldn’t tell who was opening the door after Hikari left. Seeing the lord of the west had become a scarce occurrence compared to his near constant presence from before. Inuyasha sat up when he saw who it really was. It was the older Sesshomaru. He calmly walked towards the bed with a gentle smile. “How are you feeling Inuyasha?”

Inuyasha hugged the sword tighter when his felt his youkai rattle at his presence, “Hot.” 

Sesshomaru hummed as he took the disheveled hanyou in. Sesshomaru didn’t remember what the catalysts for them was coming together before the major change, but they mated during the final parts of his heat. His younger self could no longer control himself and Inuyasha had burst into the rooms he’d been staying in in a fury. Cursing him out for whatever reason, he couldn’t remember. “How has your heat been thus far?” When he asked that, a memory surfaced suddenly. Only bits and pieces of what Inuyasha had been yelling at him before they mated. Something about the wolf prince…a partner for his heat. Sesshomaru kept his face from changing at the realizations. After that memory surfaced more began to come at him. His younger’s idea that Inuyasha would be comfortable curbing his heat with an ally.

The lord didn’t remember ever bringing it up to Inuyasha or anyone around him. Mainly because he was being selfish and didn’t want anyone to have a taste of the hanyou. It was his main reason for being jealous of his older self. He’d planned to visit the hanyou a few times and wondered if he caused that event. There would be no other way for the half demon to have known of his thoughts.

“As okay as heat can be, I guess…doesn’t feel like my skin’s being peeled off yet.” Inuyasha panted.

“I fear that it may continue to worsen…perhaps it would be beneficial for you to complete it with someone. My younger self has been thinking such things since you seem unable to eat. The wolf prince was a thought, I thought of sending him a missive as he is an ally of yours.” Inuyasha’s eyes widened 3 times at his explanation. “If it becomes too much for you to bear Inuyasha. I am always willing to assist you.” With that the elder left the room, continuing to breathe through his mouth so he wouldn’t be affected until the scent faded some.

Inuyasha was left stunned to silence in the massive bed. He felt his youkai lash out angrily. How dare Sesshomaru try to send someone to fuck him. The more he thought about it the angrier he became. He stood, his anger giving him strength and he became angrier with every step he took. It was later in the evening, just a bit after dinner but a time where people were beginning to retire.

Inuyasha stormed through the family wing of the castle he’d been confined to. After finding Sesshomaru’s temporary chambers he burst in in anger. Sesshomaru was looking at him, half-dressed after a bath. “You’ve got some fucking nerve! Why the fuck would I want that smelly ass wolf to come here while I’m in heat! We’ve fought together, we’re not that fucking close! Don’t you dare contact that flea bitten bastard, or so fucking help me I’m gonna shove my-!” Inuyasha hadn’t realized how close he’d gotten to Sesshomaru, nor did he realize just how naked Sesshomaru was.

Sesshomaru had already been in the process of inhaling normally when Inuyasha burst in. He was shocked and immediately began holding his breath, looking down at the angry and flushed hanyou. He had to calm himself, he could taste the pheromones at this point. “Get out.” He stated coldly. If Inuyasha stayed in his current chambers he didn’t know what he might do. Inuyasha seemed shocked to hear his words but Sesshomaru didn’t waver. If he were honest, after being told Sesshomaru couldn’t kick him out, he didn’t know what he should do with the frigid statement. It was much more similar to how the lord behaved before their other selves came.

“Fuck you!” Inuyasha shouted angrily. Why make it seem like he wanted him here just to tell him to leave? Inuyasha was too caught up to realize that Sesshomaru only meant out of his rooms. Sesshomaru looked up and pass Inuyasha’s head as he began to rant and curse him out. He felt his hand tighten into a fist as he steeled his control over his pleading youkai.

His control snapped a bit and Inuyasha was pinned on the ground a moment later in fright. Sesshomaru hadn’t forced him to release Tetsuaiga so he could keep his sanity, but he began to try and fight. The lord leaned down and spoke quietly, sending a chill down the hanyou’s spine. “Unless you want to be held down and mated until you no longer know which way is up and which is down, you will cease this noise, leave this room, and return to where you’ve been Inuyasha.” Sesshomaru met his startled golden eyes with blood red ones, “I am powerful Inuyasha, but I am not able to ignore your heat. So, get out unless you are ready to be mine.”

Much to Sesshomaru’s youkai’s anger, Inuyasha was released and allowed to scurry away from the lord. Inuyasha hated running away but that situation was not one he was able to handle. Sesshomaru’s words echoed in his head and his youkai rattled in anger. Their intended wanted them just as much and it was angry that Inuyasha had left when their alpha was so clearly ready for them. That made Inuyasha’s stomach tighten…Sesshomaru wanted to be his mate…if that was the case why didn’t he just come and take him? He was sure his youkai would be delighted. That would be the easiest way. The older Sesshomaru’s words echoed in his head from before, “We do not yet have that type of relationship.” It was true. If Sesshomaru mated him against his will he would never forgive him, and their already fragile attempt at a civil relationship would be forever shattered.

Inuyasha thought about the hard pressure he felt pressing against him while Sesshomaru held him down. He blushed to his ears. If they mated then that would be that, but eternity wasn’t guaranteed and came with a lot of work. If he ever mated a youkai, he wanted eternity. It was similar to how humans wanted a soul mate. Could Sesshomaru be that for him? Did he want Sesshomaru to be that? He felt an ache in his chest. Could he be happy? Would he be happy? He thought about his older self and how pleased he seemed with his mate. How easily they joked and made up, how gentle Sesshomaru was with him. He thought about how easily Sesshomaru confessed his love…could his Sesshomaru do that? Would he do that? Or would he tire of Inuyasha and throw him away?

In Sesshomaru’s temporary room, he was fighting the most difficult battle he’d ever fought in his life. His self-control was crumbling with the scent of Inuyasha’s pheromones. He lay on the floor, breathing through his mouth heavily. Cock unbearably hard. A large part of him wished Inuyasha had stayed, he wanted to ravage the young man. He was sure that aside from his elder self, he was very inexperienced. Seeing that face contort and struggling with accepting the pleasure he was given. Sesshomaru wanted it all.

He sat up, leaning against the door and biting his lip till blood began to drip down his chin and onto his chest. His hand found his straining cock and released it. He gave himself a few, firm stokes, thinking about the younger, and wondering what it’d feel like to breach that heat. He continued to stroke his cock to thoughts of making Inuyasha lose himself. “Oh wow, what a surprise.” Sesshomaru nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden voice and looked at the window to see the older Inuyasha sitting on the window seal with a smirk. The lord was tempted to cover himself. “Want some help?” He asked with a cheeky grin.

“No.” Sesshomaru stood and continue dressing, even with his painfully obvious boner. He felt strong arms wrapped around his waist. He didn’t have the patience to deal with both Inuyasha’s in such a short time frame. The hands went lower and caressed his erection. Sesshomaru shook him off. “Leave.”

“So cold.” Inuyasha pretended to be hurt. He got a glare and shrugged. “Fine fine.” He said as he headed for the door. “If you want to fuck me so bad just be honest Sess. If you want to be my mate, you’d better tell me soon.” He smirked and left the room. Sesshomaru needed their other selves to return already. The older Inuyasha was too much of a wildcard and he didn’t like unpredictable behavior. He thought about the younger, he too was unpredictable…so if Sesshomaru formally asked... how would he react? That volatile and unpredictable younger brother of his. If the situations he’d found the younger and his older self in were to be believed, then maybe there was a chance…a chance Inuyasha would say yes…

He thought about his statement to the younger from before. Had he frightened him? He spoke no lies, had Inuyasha stayed they would’ve been mates by the morning. However, were either of them ready for that? He thought about the older Inuyasha’s words. They made it seem as though something was going to happen, and he was going to lose his opportunity to mate with Inuyasha. He didn’t like that insinuation. None other than he would be allowed to mate Inuyasha, and it was well within his rights as the head of the family to reject all offers. Would Inuyasha lose the little interest he may have in him? There were so many unanswered questions but there was just one thing Sesshomaru was afraid of. Inuyasha would say no. Any youkai in this world would kill to be his mate…but Inuyasha would not bend and bow to him because of that. It was probably one thing he enjoyed about him.

He was not a coward. He stood, fortifying his control over himself once again before leaving his chambers and returning to his previous ones. He entered without a word. Inuyasha was lying on the bed holding Tetsuaiga tightly, seemingly deep in thought. “Inuyasha.” He jumped up startled and looked at him defensively. As if he would bite at any moment. “I apologize if I startled you earlier. You had not given me an adequate amount of time to prepare to deal with the scent of your heat.” Sesshomaru made no moves to approach the defensive hanyou that was watching him. Inuyasha was very surprised at the apology. The lord could see the red tint in his eyes even while holding Tetsuaiga.

“What the fuck do you want?” Inuyasha growled.

“You.” The statement sent a shiver down the hanyou’s spine.

“W-what…?” Inuyasha stuttered. Scooting back as Sesshomaru began to stalk forward.

“When trying to calm myself from your sudden outburst I realized something.” Sesshomaru continued forward, his mind already made. “I tire of this dance we’ve been doing Inuyasha. Why are we dragging it out?”

“What the hell are you talking about!?” Inuyasha exclaimed. He wasn’t ready for this conversation; he needed more time.

Sesshomaru had come so unbearably close to him. He didn’t know if he should run or fight. “Do you wish for the future shown to us Inuyasha? Do you want to be my mate?” Inuyasha felt like he’d swallowed lead. His stomach was heavy, and he felt the blood draining from his extremities. “Answer me now Inuyasha.”

“How the fuck am I supposed to just have an answer ready for you!? Give me a fucking minute you bastard!” Inuyasha growled.

“We do not have the luxury of time Inuyasha, my control is slowly slipping.” Sesshomaru hissed.

“Then ask another day!” Inuyasha growled.

“No. It is now or never.” Sesshomaru glared at him, his arm snaking around Inuyasha’s waist and forcing him closer.

Inuyasha’s eyes widened as he tried to push him away, “What’s to stop you from changing you mind and throwing me away later!? How am I supposed to trust you? Why should I!?”

The hanyou was forced to look at the straight-faced lord as he spoke. His voice cutting through to Inuyasha with every syllable, “Because I do not do things half-way. I have no intention of backing out of such a decision nor will I allow you to do so. I am at fault for the way things are. For that I will devote myself to you for eternity. I will devote myself to making up for those wrong doings.” What was he supposed to say to that? Inuyasha wanted to ask. How did he even beginning to talk about the words that now hung in the air? “I’m sorry Inuyasha. For all that I’ve done…for not seeing what you could become and leaving you alone. We can succeed. If only you’d give me the chance.”

Inuyasha felt his youkai pulsing and urging him to go forth. He looked down at the chest he was being pressed into. “How can you guarantee that? You know how we both are…” Inuyasha mumbled. The fire in him dying down as his ears flattened to his head, this was too much. It felt like it was all happening too suddenly. He should have never gone to Sesshomaru’s rooms.

“Did we not meet our future selves?” Sesshomaru spoke softly. When Inuyasha looked up Sesshomaru kissed him gently. Their mouths began to work against one another and Inuyasha couldn’t believe this was his Sesshomaru. Holding him tightly, kissing him tenderly. The lord broke the contact, realizing how Inuyasha panted and the way his body was beginning to heat. “I want this Inuyasha. I want to be your mate.”

Inuyasha didn’t know what to say. He ended up looking down at Sesshomaru’s chest. “I…can’t…I need more time…”

“Fine… But that’s not to say I won’t take this from you.” Inuyasha found his head tilted up and his lips covered with the lord’s own. The kiss was deepened and Inuyasha’s mind went into overdrive. His Sesshomaru was really kissing him. The moment the hanyou began to kiss back, Sesshomaru was on him. Pressing him down into the bed, kissing his mouth before moving to more sensitive areas. He’d been worried about allowing his youkai control, but he knew his youkai wouldn’t harm Inuyasha, his intended mate, so he simply let go but only a bit. He kept enough control so that he could stop any accidents from happening. It wasn’t unusual for mating’s to be a bit violent and bloody especially a heat induced coupling.

Inuyasha couldn’t believe what was happening. His body began to rapidly cool as all the fire gathered in his nether regions. What he lacked in only having one hand he made up for with his hot mouth. The mouth sucking his nipples and moving lower and lower on his body. Inuyasha didn’t know what to do with himself or his hands. Sesshomaru seemed quite focused on shredding his clothing and exploring his body. He didn’t know what he should be expecting from his Sesshomaru. Inuyasha felt increasingly embarrassed with the way Sesshomaru explored him.

If 30 minutes ago someone would’ve said he’d have his cock down his brother’s throat he would have laughed hysterically. However now, looking down at him, as he took his straining member in, he’d eat those words. Sesshomaru closed his eyes as he brought him into his mouth, and when they reopened, they were a bloody red. His suction was strong, and his tongue worked around his cock as well. Inuyasha moaned and arched his back, his mind cloudy and losing his senses. He felt his youkai rising and released the Tetsuaiga. Sesshomaru pulled off him, nipping and licking his way back to his mouth. Inuyasha began to strip the lord. Touching his body similar to how he did when he was with the older. Sesshomaru seemed to appreciate that. Inuyasha felt his hand trail down as it breached his entrance. “Oh my god.” He gasped. This was really happening.

Sesshomaru began to work his entrance. It seemed so different from the older, but that had to do with experience. He felt Sesshomaru stretch him and felt his hole ache. His youkai was throbbing inside him and his cock the same. When they were both nude in the bed Inuyasha’s eyes widened as Sesshomaru pressed into him. He felt himself stretch as Sesshomaru entered him. The youkai was growling lowly, nipping at his ears and licking his neck as he began to thrust. Inuyasha felt the pleasure of it radiate throughout his body as Tetsuaiga was knocked from the bed and his mind finally succumbed to his youkai.

Now in control and under his desired mate. Inuyasha’s youkai began to mewl and whine for more of their intended’s attention. Sesshomaru met his eyes and soon their coupling became rough and aggressive. Inuyasha felt his end coming quickly. His eyes rolled as his instincts urged him to mark his intended. His fangs grew in length as his body began to thrust and jerk against Sesshomaru’s. Soon warm youki filled blood was entering his mouth. He heard Sesshomaru grunt and felt the lord spend himself. The youkai shuddered, his thrusts slowing as he spent himself into his partner. Much to the hanyou turn youkai’s dismay, the lord did not mark him in turn. The other Inuyasha had said no and the mating mark placed on him could always be removed. Inuyasha whined for his attention, for his mark, but the lord only kissed his blood-stained lips. “In time.”

()()()()()()()()()()

Four days passed and Inuyasha peaked open his eyes. His body was sore, and he no longer felt as though he was burning from the inside out. He sat up and felt his stomach drop. What had he done!? He felt his stomach tighten as he looked at the other occupant of the bed they were in. He looked at the bloody red crescent mark on the man’s shoulder. Sesshomaru was resting peacefully, though his body was littered with countless markings. His hand reached to his own shoulder feeling nothing but a jolt of disappointment from his youkai. Sesshomaru hadn’t marked him…Inuyasha wanted to bury his head in the blankets and pillows. He didn’t know why he was feeling so disappointed. Had what he said been a lie? Inuyasha could still smell the scent of sex in the air and wanted to bury himself further…they’d had sex…repeatedly. He and the Sesshomaru of his time. He didn’t know what to do with himself.

Looking at Sesshomaru’s sleeping face he felt his youkai flex. Sesshomaru really was stupidly attractive. He’d been embarrassed when he realized he’d admitted such to the lord, but it made it easier that Sesshomaru hadn’t mentioned it again. He thought about the words Sesshomaru had spoken to him before they…did things. He felt his face burn. He stood up and assessed his body. He had scratches and bruises all over his body, but nothing that wouldn’t heal by the end of the day.

He made his way to the bathing chambers; he felt a bit gross. His back straighten as something oozed from his body. He felt his embarrassment reached new levels as he hurried to clean himself. Realizing his method wasn’t going to work he did as the older Inuyasha had forced on him, and it worked much better. There was just so much of it. He cleaned the dried blood and cum from his body before relaxing in the hot water. This was what he needed. With his heat now gone…he didn’t know how he felt about having completed his heat with the cold demon lord. Was this truly what he wanted? Or was it the influence of his heat? He tried to figure out how he felt about it, but he really didn’t know. He didn’t even know what he would say to Sesshomaru when he woke.

When he finished his bath, he realized he was feeling something else. Emotions that felt foreign to him. Myoga had told him that was a part of being mated. You could always tell how your mate was feeling. He hadn’t been marked as that would’ve completed their mating but his mark on Sesshomaru would fade with time if left alone. In a way, he’d marked Sesshomaru as his, if anything. From what he was getting from the mark, Sesshomaru was now awake. Inuyasha was nervous about seeing him right now because of all the things that they’d done, all the things he was now remembering. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Sesshomaru met him as he was leaving the bathing room. The lord was looking at him with a cold and unreadable look but Inuyasha realized that the lord was feeling quite uneasy himself.

“How are you feeling?” Sesshomaru asked.

“I’m okay.” Inuyasha said quietly, avoiding the lords gaze. Especially when he realized the lord was very naked. He was starting to feel embarrassed.

“You should rest for today. I’m sure your body aches.” Sesshomaru realized Inuyasha was a bit taller now too. “You’ve grown.” Sesshomaru noted. “You have a few maturity cycles left. I’m curious as to what new ability you might’ve manifested.”

The unease was steady, as if Sesshomaru was unsure how Inuyasha was going to respond to his small talk. “How would I figure that out?” His natural abilities that he manifested over the years had been blades of blood and his iron reaver soul stealer.

“We can talk about it over breakfast. I’ll bathe and we can go then.” Sesshomaru said as he passed Inuyasha. The hanyou felt a bout of relief from the lord.

“Had he been expecting me to freak out?” Inuyasha thought to himself.

Inuyasha returned to the main room and dressed in some of the clothes that had been brought there for him. He’d almost forgotten that these were originally Sesshomaru’s rooms.

Breakfast was a quiet affair, Sesshomaru explained to Inuyasha that it often took people decades to figure out which abilities they might have manifested. His whip was one and had taken him nearly a century to figure it out, as it was a skill no one else possessed in their clan. Poison claws were one thing but being able to manifest a whip took a special kind of magic. Sesshomaru confirmed that it shouldn’t take Inuyasha too long to figure it out unless it was something as rare as his whip.

After breakfast, the two were accosted by their older selves. The younger Sesshomaru glared at them both. He found them very bothersome as he was making an exponential amount of progress but the hardened looks on their faces stopped him from being hostile. “We need to talk to you two about the witch.” Sesshomaru stated coldly. He wore an unreadable look which made the younger believe that it was getting close to the time where they would have to fight the witch head on and potentially lose their child. They both seemed tense.

Sesshomaru had already granted them permission to use the solar room. He hadn’t been expected to bring Inuyasha there so soon. It was a room full of magic, built by their ancestors long ago. One of the specialties of the room, was the ability to view memories. He used the magical items to interrogate prisoners without the need to torture them. There were only five occupants in the room currents. Both sets of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, and their oldest child, Arashi. “Inuyasha…will you tell them?” The older Sesshomaru asked.

All eyes were on the older Inuyasha, “Okay…it’s not a pretty story…and it doesn’t have a pretty ending.” He began to tell the room about his contact with the witch. She wasn’t truly a witch, it was more of a nickname the mated pair had given her based on her wicked deeds. She was an inu demoness, one that had clearly lost her sanity. They avoided a war which they had assumed to be the reason the witch was after them, but she still came for them. The avoided war wasn’t enough, she infiltrated the west and set about dismantling the structure so the west would fall to ruin, but the only thing that was ruined was her. The woman was obsessed with taking the royal inu down and they just couldn’t understand why she hated them as she did. They doubted even she remembered the reason for it.

“I do not believe there to be a true reason for her hatred against us, other than her clan has a long and difficult relationship with ours. Currently, in this time period, they are flourishing while our clan dwindles. However, I checked and there are none in that clan that carry her scent, meaning that perhaps her family was banished.” Sesshomaru continued.

“So, why does she hate us so much if there’s not a reason?” Inuyasha asked.

“From what we’ve gathered from the countless versions of us…it’s not that she hates us…she really just hates our dear old father.” The older Inuyasha explained. “After badgering, Myoga, Bakusen’O, and Totosai, I was finally able to piece somethings together, based on that and what the previous me told me. I think our father is the reason her family was banished from their clan.”

“Okay, so the typical dealing with the shit storm of people who hated father.” The younger Inuyasha sighed, wondering if he’d ever get a break. The younger Sesshomaru snorted his agreement.

“Yeah but even that didn’t seem right. I feel like there’s more, but I really don’t know.” The older sighed. “I’ve spoken to her, and she said it wasn’t fair we hadn’t suffered like she had. That we were thriving, had expanded our lands, and sat at the pinnacle of youkai society. She said it should’ve been her family, not ours, which is what makes me think that.” The older Inuyasha’s face was unnervingly distant and cold. His eyes became full of youki and he turned his gaze to the younger versions. “Then she tried to eat the twins and I promised her death.” Even thinking about that event made his blood boil. The little girls were a bit younger than Kiki at the time and didn’t know the danger of strangers just yet. They thought the woman was a fairy, Inuyasha had made it just in time. He’d tried speaking things out with her when they’d first met but she was irrational and unhinged. He wondered about that too, he wondered about what led the woman into being as she was. She was a powerful inu sorceress though clearly jaded.

“Did you try to find her clan?” Inuyasha asked.

“We searched everywhere…until there was nowhere else we could look.” Inuyasha sighed. “It’s like her family popped into existence from thin air.” The older Inuyasha took a deep breath. “We wanted to show her to you and prepare for what we’re going to have to do…so bear with us.”

They saw the older Sesshomaru squeeze Inuyasha’s hand. “Our memories…we need to show them to you, so you understand.” Sesshomaru looked at Arashi and rubbed his head. Inuyasha touched the orb at the center of a table and an image appeared on the wall, as if we were watching through his eyes. They watched all of his interactions with the witch and some especially exhilarating battles between them. Eventually, they moved on to Sesshomaru’s short but interesting interactions with her. Soon there was silence as the mates looked at each other.

Inuyasha turned to Arashi. They’d had a conversation about Arashi’s training and why it was so intense a lot earlier than expected and Inuyasha though it best that they simply show him why Sesshomaru was so adamant about it. Inuyasha began to explain that originally, in a past timeline, Arashi didn’t train much at all, which is why he ended up dying, long before they reached even his body. Arashi flinched at the statement and the occupants watched in shock as the older Sesshomaru hugged Inuyasha tightly, resting his head on his shoulder, before they both placed their hands on the orb once more.

The wall lit once more, “Father, father, straight A’s!” Was a beaming smile from an Arashi that existed long ago and yet hadn’t existed at all. With long hair and an effeminate frame, you’d think they were two different people. Within seconds the image changed to a body, one ridged and frozen. Then in changed again to show the being watching the body.

“Sess…” Their point of view spoke, voice broken. Within seconds a blast took over the area, as a roar that held with it all the sorrow in the world tore through the air. “Sesshomaru!” Was heard but the Sesshomaru of that time could no longer hear anything. Everything that stood in the way was quickly eroded with the power of his youki. Plants and beings alike withered and died quickly before the scene changed.

This time the Arashi looked stronger and was running towards the point of view with an exhausted smile. However, he was grabbed, and his throat was torn out as he was swarmed, but not before a quiet, “Papa?” Was heard and tears began to fall from his face. The scene of Sesshomaru losing himself to his grief and youki replayed before the scene changed again.

“Shi-shi dodge!” The stronger looking Arashi dodged the attack and kicked the dead away from him, but he was grabbed and torn at before Inuyasha could get to him.

“No no no!” Their point of view wailed as he sliced through them with Tetsuaiga. “Arashi…!” However, he was too late, the light in his eyes faded as blood dripped from his mouth. A rush of youkai was seen washing over them, as Sesshomaru clearly felt their bond snap from wherever he was. “Sess, I’m sorry…!” They heard their point of view cry as he held the lifeless body close. “Shi shi I’m so sorry!”

The scene changed again, the family was swarmed with light, the point of view was looking down at a cloth wrapped body. They could see drops of water stain the cloth. “Train him better…even if he comes to hate you…please…train him better.” The three little girls were crying and holding on to Inuyasha and the scene changed again.

Sesshomaru’s grip on Inuyasha became stronger, as a shuddering breath escaped him. Reminding his youkai that his son was alive and perfectly well. His eyes found his son’s shocked face as the scene changed again.

“Kiki!” Was the shout of their point of view as the little girl was swarmed with a fiery blast of concentrated energy, “Daddy!” She cried out. Sesshomaru’s grip on his mate tightened when he felt him tense.

The scene changed again, Sesshomaru was almost to the little girl as the blast was fired off. “Papa, help me!” She screamed as the blast overtook her and caught Sesshomaru as well. The entire left side of Sesshomaru’s body was covered in burns, but he looked up at their struggling point of view on his knees, “Inuyasha…I’m sorry…” before finally passing out from the amount of damage.

The scene reset “Hashira!” Was shouted, however when they appeared, it was too late, and they were overtaken by the blast as well. “No!” Inuyasha shouted.

The scene moved on. Although it seemed to be from Sesshomaru’s perspective. He held his mate in his embrace and his tearful twins could only go to their older brother for comfort as he had his hands full dealing with the desolate Inuyasha. The Inuyasha looked at them, “Please…save her…” Inuyasha had never heard himself sound so broken before.

The light died down and the room was silent. The younger Inuyasha was feeling overwhelmed, it felt like a large responsibility to shoulder. “Papa I’m sorry…” Was the quiet voice from Arashi. Sesshomaru gave him a small smile before embracing him as well. Currently, the lord had no idea what it was like to feel the bond between parent and child snap as it had previously, and he was thankful for that. Though he worried that if they lost their daughter, Inuyasha might not recover from such a thing. He’d seen many youkai who lost themselves to insanity after losing their child, and hoped Inuyasha wouldn’t become one of them. Inuyasha was strong, and he was mentally strong, but to lose your child was a different kind of pain. One that took more than words to describe.

“I think-!” The older Inuyasha began to speak but stopped when his voice came out weaker than expected. He took a deep breath before starting again, “I think I asked you not to kill her before…but don’t lock her away this time. Okay?”

The younger Inuyasha wondered what he was talking about until he remembered. He’d been asked not to kill Kagome, but he hadn’t been planning on locking her in her own time, although it would solve a lot of his problems. He couldn’t exactly disagree, seeing as they’d just shown him something unimaginable. “I…understand.” Inuyasha nodded. The group decided it would be best to continue at a later time, so they could share their specific memories with their particular counterpart. Sesshomaru was not looking forward to spending time with himself, and Inuyasha felt better about not being around the older or younger Sesshomaru. He was still confused and embarrassed about completing his heat with the man and not coming out with a mating mark. In a way, he felt like his heat had been influencing the man too much and he’d made a mistake, but at least he wasn’t cursing his very existence like he would have in the past.

When they exited the solar room, he was informed that his rooms had been repaired. He couldn’t help but feel a bit bitter about going to his own rooms. He…felt needy. His eyes met Sesshomaru’s and he felt emotions akin to longing, which made his feel embarrassed. What was he supposed to do with those types of feeling’s. What did that mean? He wanted to groan. More than that he wished he knew what decision to make, because if he really thought about it. To prevent any of this from happening in the first place, and save all of the children they’d brought into this world, wouldn’t it be better…easier…if they didn’t mate at all?


	16. Chapter 16

Sesshomaru’s youkai was in turmoil. It wanted to be with Inuyasha, not sitting in the solar room with his other self. The young Sesshomaru couldn’t help but glare at himself. “I’ll be quick about it, as you seem to be pinning after my mate.” The elder teased.

“Get on with it.” Sesshomaru growled.

“Do not rush me pup.” The elder Sesshomaru flared his youkai intensely. “There are many things I must show you, that you must remember, should you and Inuyasha go down this path.” The elder watched his younger selves’ reaction. Remembering his thoughts at the time. “If you wish to keep him from harm’s way you will take this lesson as we did our studies under father. They are that important.” Sesshomaru watched the younger straighten the slightest bit as he began going through his memories with him. He ended up including things that weren’t necessary, but he wanted to make sure he cherished Inuyasha even more this time around. As he’d told Inuyasha before, he wasn’t the best of mates at first. It took him a while and a lot of arguing and patience to learn that Inuyasha, despite his rough demeaner, responded best to a gentle hand. Arguments never got him anywhere, yelling at Inuyasha only damaged their relationship, and scolding him only made it worse. He wanted to be better than he had been, he wouldn’t correct all of his mistakes of course, it took those mistakes to truly outline how much he loved the younger and he didn’t want to change that. He just wanted to ease Inuyasha’s suffering.

The younger Sesshomaru watched and listened intently as the elder spoke. He could see the younger Inuyasha looking at him with an absolute and trusting smile. “Inuyasha…likes to solve things on his own…he isn’t used to asking for help and never has been. Don’t help him with anything unless he asks for it…but remind him that you are there if he needs you…that’s the best thing you can do for him.” The younger lord watched the reminiscing smile on his own face. It looked so out of place and foreign on his features, but it seemed that even the hardest times were now a fond memory to the man.

The younger Sesshomaru felt his blood begin to boil as the topic moved on into his interactions with the younger Inuyasha. The older man wasn’t saying much, stating that it was best if the younger Inuyasha were the one to tell him what happened while they were in the past, but the thing that made him strike out at the man was the quiet and very sly comment, “I forgot how sweet and naïve he was during this time period.” The elder dodged his attack with ease, “You dare?” He questioned coldly. The only person this Sesshomaru wouldn’t punish for attacking him was the young Inuyasha. Even the older hanyou wouldn’t escape his ire. “You are not too old to be thrown over my knee.” He stated coldly.

“I am the lord of these lands!”

“As am I pup!” The older growled, “And hundreds of years your elder at that.”

The tension in the room was thick with their shared energy, neither truly being affected as the power was both of theirs. “Agh, was I truly so petty and jealous?” The elder pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. “We are the same person. Inuyasha is as much yours as he is mine.” He wanted to tease the younger but didn’t want the solar room to be destroyed before his mate had a chance to use it. “I’m only bothered by our treatment of him up until this point and wished to treat him well.” The elder glared at the younger as he left, “Don’t make him regret the time spent with us.”

When the elder opened the door a large cloud of white encompassed him and all he could hear were gasps and the obnoxious laughing of his mate and children. This was an old trick he hadn’t been expecting, he was now covered head to toe in rice flour. He could see the younger Inuyasha trying hard to stifle his own laughter which made him sigh. The young hanyou didn’t laugh too often so he wouldn’t admonish his mate. Instead he approached him quickly pulling the protesting older hanyou into a tight hug and covering him in the flour as well. “What’s the matter mate? I only wished to show you my love.”

“Yeah yeah, let me go!” Sesshomaru’s arms were stronger than even a steel trap and his little prank backfired. “Shall we have a bath?” He tilted his mates head so he could reach his mating mark. “Flour can be difficult to remove from one’s hair.” He kissed his mating mark, causing the hanyou to jolt and growl. Sesshomaru pecked him on the lips.

“Ewww.” Arashi groaned, covering his eyes, “I’m just a child.”

“Ughh!” Inuyasha growled, trying to free himself before giving up with a huff. “Little me, we’ll meet up after lunch okay?”

The younger Inuyasha nodded and watched Sesshomaru walk off while he protested and cursed at him before stopping, “Do you want to come along little one?” Sesshomaru said with a suggestive smirk, looking back at the hanyou, “We could continue where we left off last.” In an instant, both Inuyasha’s turned bright red, remembering what they’d done together. The younger turned and quickly walked off, the younger Sesshomaru following him with his eyes, wondering what the elder Sesshomaru was talking about. 

“I can’t believe you!” The older Inuyasha exclaimed.

“Says the pervert I call my mate.” Sesshomaru rebutted as they continued down the hall with their children pitter pattering behind them.

“Whas’a pa’vert?” Kiki asked curiously, tilting her head.

“A bad person.” Arashi explained quickly, as he followed his odd family.

“Now who has her saying weird crap!?” The elder Inuyasha exclaimed.

()()()()()()()()()()

Sitting in the village observing the humans moving around, Kagome felt wistful and deeply disturbed. What had she done? How ignorant could she have been? She’d gone home immediately, only for her mother to scold her when she explained why she was crying. Of course, her mother was angry with Inuyasha for trying to harm her, however she was so surprised about her daughter’s behavior up until that point. She’d always tried to raise her children to be kind and caring individuals, she never thought her daughter would cave to selfishness. 

She was shocked to learn about Inuyasha’s relationship with his brother, but youkai were foreign concepts to her. She didn’t understand what it meant to be youkai so she couldn’t admonish him for that. Kagome’s mother tried to help her daughter see things from Inuyasha’s perspective, though she was egregiously upset.

Looking at the villagers go about their daily lives, for the first time she noticed that they looked differently. She’d always thought the villagers to be quite rude as time went on and they got to know her, but she was slowly understanding that those glares were how humans always looked at Inuyasha. Whether he helped them or not. She thought about all the people they’d helped and how Inuyasha and even Shippo were treated. Even they were treated better at the demon fortress. She wanted to apologize again but was sure the last person Inuyasha ever wanted to see was her. Miroku had come with them but he’d headed back, saying he needed to check on Inuyasha. He’d told them that the painting and many of the things in the room had belonged to Inuyasha’s mother. How foolish was she, to have ruined it? She’d seen what the un-mother had done to Inuyasha, how clearly hurt he’d been and how attached to his mother he was. How much he loved the woman.

It felt like a storm of her own misdeeds were coming back to haunt her and the guilt was eating away at her. “I’m so sorry Inuyasha…” She whispered to herself. Feeling a tear drop down her cheek. Kagome ended up standing and beginning to walk around the village to clear her head. When she saw the little girls waving to her in the flower field, she couldn’t help but think of Kiki. The little girl was cheerful, and she could tell her parents adored her. She’d seen the way the elder Inuyasha was with his children, so attentive. She’d really wanted that with Inuyasha, to be with him until….? Until what? She thought to herself. She would one day die of old age and she didn’t want to be like Kikyo, asking him to give up his youkai side with the power of the sacred jewel. If Inuyasha fell in love with her…he would be alone in the end…he might even outlive any children they might have had. So naïve…she grumbled to herself.

She hadn’t noticed it, but her feet had brought her to the sacred tree. Where she first laid eyes on Inuyasha. “Kagome.”

She screamed as she nearly jumped so high, she was in the tree. She turned sharply, “Kouga? What are you doing here?”

Kouga shrugged, “I came to see ya. Inuyasha really left you alone then huh?” He said taking in her scent, noting that she was truly unmated. “I mean Lord Sesshomaru is pretty attractive. I’m just surprised the mutt managed to pull that off. Considerin’ their relationship.”

“What are you talking about?” Kagome asked, wondering if he’d come across the future Inuyasha and Sesshomaru.

“Inuyasha was with his brother for matin’ season.” Kouga scratched the back of his head as he felt a blush creep up his neck, “I sorta ran into them…” Kagome nodded before taking a seat. “So, you ready to be mine?” He asked with a grin. Happy that he could sense Inuyasha nowhere near them. Not even in the village.

“What? No.” Kagome exclaimed. She didn’t belong in this world. If she was with anyone, she would make them suffer and hurt in the end.

Kouga was a bit put off by the strong answer he received. Usually, she just went along with his and Inuyasha’s bantering. Inuyasha running off must’ve really upset her, he thought to himself. “Are you okay Kagome?”

Kagome sighed and began to tell him what was currently happening. He was very surprised and shocked at the fact that beings from the future had come back to the past. So, shocked in fact that when she finished telling him what happened, he had no clue of what he should say. It sounded like fate, and their fate was to be together, nothing would be able to stop or change that. “The older ones said that a witch sent them to the past and one of their kids is going to die.” Kagome said sadly thinking about the sweet girl and the young man who’d tried to save her life.

“We cannot fight fate Kagome.” Kouga stately calmly. This was the common sense of youkai. Only humans were foolish enough to try and go against it, or stubborn hanyou.

“But this fate isn’t fair…there must be something I can do…something to make up for everything I’ve done…” Kagome sighed.

“You’ll upset the gods if you act against them Kagome. That’s how you end up getting your fate changed and cursed.” Kouga waved.

“Um…Kouga….I think I’m already pretty cursed….” Kagome smiled bitterly. She then looked down her legs, “We never told you…but I’m also from the future…I’m from 500 years in the future. I came here…I fell in love with Inuyasha, only to have to compete with the dead woman I was mistaken for. Then when she’d out of the picture, I have to deal with losing him to someone who tried to kill me, and now he doesn’t want anything to do with me and wishes I was dead. I don’t belong here…maybe that’s why I’m suffering now. Maybe this isn’t my fate…”

Kouga didn’t know what to say. He knew the girl was strange, but he guessed it sort of made sense. He was certain she was a harlot until he learned she was a priestess. A priestess from the future. “Could that be why they’re here from the future? Did they come the same way you did?”

“Ah no. The bright lights in the sky is where they came from, there is a portal in the well to my home. I’m not trapped here…I only want to help collect the sacred jewel and make it whole.” Kagome nodded to herself. That was her purpose for being here. To fix a mistake she’d made in this world. “I wish I could fix my relationship with Inuyasha too.” She sighed.

As the sun was setting, and she didn’t want Sango or Kaede to worry she stood. Kouga walked her to the village before taking off into the woods. She didn’t know where he was going as he hadn’t said. Probably to collect his companions who he was always leaving behind. Kagome had a fitful rest.

()()()()()()()()()()

Inuyasha’s youkai was angry with him. It wanted to see their mate, and yet here they stood, in the solar room once again with their other self. The older Inuyasha actually looked as serious as he did before, when they talked about how the children died. Gone was the playful prankster he’d been mere hours ago. He began to speak seriously with Inuyasha, stating that there were things he needed him to remember and if he ever forgot, to come back to the solar room to recover his memories.

They went through many things, there biggest topic being the witch and dealing with the things she’d done. Then he started talking about Sesshomaru. The things he was telling him felt random to Inuyasha, but he reminded him not to kidnap Arashi after he was born. Stating that it almost felt like the lord no longer cared about him when he did that. 

The statement made Inuyasha uncomfortable as his mind wandered from what his older self was saying. “If…” He started, interrupting himself. Who could he talk to if not himself? “Sesshomaru….” He sighed before looking at the patient Inuyasha. How would he grow to be this person when even he was frustrated with himself. “If Sesshomaru really wanted to be my mate….why didn’t he mark me too?”

The older Inuyasha only stared at him as he thought about how best to answer the question. He hadn’t liked what was said to him at the time so he tried to think back on what he wanted to hear. “Because…you didn’t want him to…” He settled, feeling the memories rewriting. “You told him you needed more time.” The younger Inuyasha’s eyes were wide. Was that the only reason? “Yes, that is the only reason. When we were together, he marked me without hesitating.” The older shrugged.

He watched his younger self think. “…Will it really be okay?” He asked after a while.

The older could only smile, “I couldn’t imagine my life without him.” The older sat closer to Inuyasha with a small smile. “We’ve had our ups and downs…every couple does…but he really meant what he said that night. I’ve watched him put it to practice for several centuries now…it took us a while…but we finally understand each other…even though I always feel like I’m learning something new about him.”

The younger him nodded; his youkai was elated. “But what if…?”

The older cut him off, “He won’t throw us away. We’ve been together for centuries little me. If it was going to happen it would’ve happened.”

“But what about..!?”

“Nope, he even told me that I’m more likely to cheat and to expect everyone involved to die if that was the case. Said I act just like our father. He’s rude as fuck.”

“I wouldn’t ever..!” Inuyasha exclaimed.

“Yeah yeah, but just like these thoughts you’re having. These doubts. He’s having them too. We aren’t the only ones who are unsure of how this is gonna play out. I’m sure you’ve been feeling how much of an emotional wreck that man is.” The older laughed a bit. “Poor Sess, mating someone who he thinks might get bored with him and cheat. I should make it up to little Sess. Ease his mind some.”

“Why would he even think that…” Inuyasha frowned.

“Well…remember…technically, our mom was the other woman….Sess watched his family fall apart because of mom….technically.” Inuyasha shrugged.

“But he still kept everything…for me…” The younger sighed. “Why is he so fucking confusing!?”

The older began to laugh joyfully, “I ask the same thing everyday little me. You’ll get used to it.”

“But overall?” The younger asked with a small smile.

“I love that confusing bastard.” The older nodded, looking at his younger self. He started thinking about the first time the younger Sesshomaru told him he loved him. To this day the memory makes him blush, although it was so long ago. He wished he could stay and watch everything, but he could always use the solar room. He sighed when thinking about what was to come.

The younger became a bit tense at his sudden change. “Little me…I actually have a really important favor to ask you…”

The younger straightened a bit, wondering if it had something to do with Kagome again. He watched a tear fall from the elder’s eyes and when he spoke, he could hear himself. Gone was the confident demon lord. It was just him. “We don’t know how to save Kiki…and we don’t want her to die so…we thought it best that when we left to defeat the witch and return to the future…we leave Kiki in the castle.”

“You’re leaving her behind!?” The younger exclaimed. 

I took a moment for the elder to gather himself. “Our daughter…my little puppy will die if she steps on that battle field….I know…if we leave her here…at least she’ll be alive. We’ll still be raising her…our memories should overwrite when we return home. Once everything is set in stone.”

“But then when I go to the past that means I’ll have to leave her here too! And it’ll be two of them in the future for a while, isn’t that bad?” Inuyasha shouted.

The elder’s face was wet with the tears that ran down his face, “I’d rather deal with that than watch my puppy die little me….she’s just a baby….We’ll deal with the consequences of messing with the future…but we just want her to live….”

Inuyasha didn’t know what to say to his sobbing older self. He didn’t have a bond with Kiki like the man did, and while his youkai wanted to protect and nurture the little girl, he knew carrying a child created a special bond. Hell, the man was currently pregnant as they spoke. A solid knock was heard at the door before it creaked open softly. The elder Sesshomaru came in and took his mate. “Inuyasha. It’ll be okay…” He’d first come to the door when he felt his mate’s mood plummet. It wasn’t good for the pup for him to remain so upset.

“How!? When I have to leave my puppy behind?” Inuyasha shouted at Sesshomaru. Who said nothing and remained calm.

“While we may miss her…she will still be close to us. We’ll have all the wonderful memories of raising her and it won’t seem as sad as it does now, because it hasn’t happened yet.” Inuyasha held onto his mate and continued to sob. 

“Little me...you have to learn how to make desserts…She really loves apple dumplings. She’s also really scared of thunderstorms so make sure you keep her close and distracted. It helps if she sleeps with you and Sess an…” Inuyasha sobbed a bit harder into Sesshomaru’s chest. “…and she loves sleeping with Sesshomaru’s fur the most…she’ll nap easier if she has it…” The older Inuyasha really broke down then, with the fact that he would be really leaving his pup behind. His youkai wailed and raged inside of him. Refusing to allow such a thing, however with Tetsuaiga at his hip, it didn’t have much of a choice.

Sesshomaru held him gently and gave a small reassuring smile to the younger Inuyasha who was clearly becoming more and more upset. “Inuyasha do not worry, he will be fine. You may go.”  
The younger Inuyasha nodded before leaving. Making sure to close the door tightly, so no one could hear him. Outside the door he took a deep breath, letting it out forcefully. He stood in the hall simply breathing before he found the strength to move his legs forward. To himself he could admit it, he could admit that he was scared. He didn’t know anything about being a parent. How could he take care of the little girl? He felt a thought coming back from before…should they even mate if this is the result. His older self said they were so happy, but this eventual tragedy might break them. He didn’t want to have happiness at the cost of his child’s life, because that’s what this felt like. Like he was being selfish and signing the little girl to death. What would happened if they didn’t mate?  
Where was that future? Even as he said it he was sure they would…that’s why their older selves hadn’t disappeared all the times he’d thought about it. He wished there was a way to keep the girl alive and send her home with her true family, to where she truly belonged. He thought about the well. They often talked years, but it seemed like they were from many years beyond where Kagome lived. If that was the case, would he be able to send the little girl back after a few hundred years? Would she even want to go back? Could she adapt to the different times or would she suffer?  
He didn’t know and he didn’t like this uncertainty. Surely there was someone powerful enough to send the little girl back to the future if that was the case. He would accept her, but he would send her back.

As he was walking down the hall thinking, he started paying attention to Sesshomaru’s emotions. His older self was right, the man was quite emotional, contrary to his outward façade. The lord felt…unsure…with a bit of anxiety thrown in. Inuyasha paid attention to the fluctuating emotions until he realized where his feet had taken him, feeling Sesshomaru’s anxiety spike. 

Inuyasha was standing outside of some doors. He didn’t know what this room was, having never been here before. He tried to think of an excuse to tell Sesshomaru about why he ended up coming here, certain that Sesshomaru was expecting a response. They hadn’t spoken since the morning after and he didn’t know what to say to the youkai. It was clear what their inner beasts wanted, it was clear what Sesshomaru wanted, he was the only one still questioning everything.

He knocked, and Sesshomaru’s calm response echoed through his chest. Opening the door, Sesshomaru was sitting calmly at a desk as he finished signing something. “How was your conversation with the elder Inuyasha.”

“Stressful.” Inuyasha remained closer to the door out of habit. “Did…did the other you say anything about Kiki?” Sesshomaru said no and asked what the older Inuyasha had said about Kiki. Inuyasha was then explaining the older two’s plan to save their daughter’s life, before giving his own ideas about returning her to the future.

“My mother…might know of a way.” Sesshomaru nodded. Thinking about it as well. He didn’t mind caring for the young girl. She was his daughter after all, though he was unsure as to how his mother would react to him mating Inuyasha. He was sure she despised him.

“That’s good then.” Inuyasha nodded in the awkwardness of the room. 

“Inuyasha.”

“Yeah!?” He answered nervously. He still didn’t know how to react to Sesshomaru calling him by his name.

“I do not need an answer right now.” Sesshomaru stated. Though his emotions were screaming at Inuyasha that his heart probably couldn’t take a no or the tension.

“Sort of…hard to believe…with the emotions.” Inuyasha scratched the back of his head, although his eyes widened when he saw the obvious look of embarrassment on the youkai’s face, along with the dusting of red. It was off putting. He was then hit with a very large bout of embarrassment to the point where even he wanted to find somewhere to hide for a while. “Kami I don’t think I’ll ever get use to this.”

None of the embarrassment found its way into the lord’s steady voice, “I’d forgotten about that particular quirk.” He was back to looking very stoic and calm, though his emotions were running rampant as he tried to stifle them.

“Look… I know that our older selves make it seem like this is what we’re supposed to do but…don’t you feel like you’re being selfish too?” Inuyasha felt Sesshomaru’s confusion at the statement. “If we mate…” Inuyasha had to take a breath after such a statement, “We might be happy for a while…but then this happens….one of our kids dies…I don’t want to experience that…”

Sesshomaru was silent, he didn’t agree with Inuyasha. If they didn’t mate, the children would never exist in the first place. “Do you not have faith that we can send her back to the future?”

“Well…wouldn’t they know?” He asked.

“How would they know something that hasn’t been tried? They stated that she’d never been left in the past before, correct? This is new.” Sesshomaru explained as he stood and approached Inuyasha. 

“We will find a way.” He said with certainty, he did not do things halfway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was busy with school things, so the last few chapters will be posted soon. Thank you all for reading!
> 
> I'll be uploading another of my unfinished stories and finishing that one as well. (Doing a transfer from FF before I start posting my unposted stories. I don't wanna leave any of my longtime readers hanging so all my stories will be getting proper endings)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment and tell me what you think!


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